大象传媒

Of course it is appropriate, as increased awareness and continued media coverage may just help the unfortunate child to be recovered. Hope the campaign continues, some one somewhere knows who took Madelaine and the continued media coverage will help the chances of that person or people to come forward. We all hope the child is alive and well, and wish her parents, family and Madelaine our prayers and positive thoughts, Pam

The coverage of this particular case is reaching ridiculous proportions, and attracting a sickening amount of sympathy.
These parents were not entirely blame free for their daughter's disappearance, yet they are milking the publicity without a thought to mention or share their exposure, with all the other thousands of parents worldwide who have undergone exactly the same trauma, or worse, and yet receive no public help or sympathy, each time they see Madeline's parents on TV, the mention beautiful, white middle class child must be too painful a reminder to bear. What happened to coverage of World Missing Children's day last week?

of course everything possible to find the young girl is appropriate - religious bias not withstanding
rgds
ps

yes

Oh really? And who are these "people" who feel so uneasy. Are they parents? Would they be doing differently in such circumstances? I don't think so!

I have every sympathy with the McCann's and hope they can keep up the interest until such time as the matter is resolved one way or the other.

While I have every sympathy for the McCann family I am so over reading about it everyday. I feel for all the missing persons and their families that do not receive this amount of coverage - what's so special about the McCann's?

Of course any help they can get to help get their daughter back home is appropriate, it should have been done for other families who have had to endure similar situations.
Whatever can be done, must be done.

ANY assistance from public figures which might help in the search for Madeleine, is appropriate!

Yes, of course the media is right to continue to give their story such prominence and the Pope, Gordon Brown and David Beckham' interventions are appropriate.

I really sympathize with the family as they are fighting so hard to keep the attention focused on the kidnapping. They are using every energy and exploring every avenue to help find their daughter. This proves the power of family and friends who want to be heard and want everyone to help their cause. I would do the same for a cause that I believe in. Remember father for justice? Remember what they did to gain attention on their cause? Remember Ken Bigley's family? They fought so hard to help their father's cause.

I have to question anyone who feels uneasy about the publicity given the loss/theft of child. Shame on them. This should be a primary source of recovery and the more, the better.

Whilst it is understandable that well educated professionals would use the media in order to highlight the appalling circumstances they find themselves in , I fear there will be a backlash when the media develop the next phase of the story - which will be; Why did well educated professionals leave 3 children unsupervised in an unsecured apartment?

Wow, this is such a tough question. On the one hand the pain that the McCanns' are going through is unimaginable but on the other the plight of millions of malnourished, abused and neglected children worldwide is also sometimes too terrible to bear.
I do not know what the answer is. I pray for the safe return of their daughter but also pray that this awful incident will raise awareness and help for children that need it everywhere.
If the media and high-profile celebs' involvement help to raise that awareness perhaps it's for the good.

I think that the prominece of this in the media should now cease. I think that it is getting too much publicity especially in the plight of many parents whose children are missing, and have been missing for a number of years. I am also slightly disturbed that Kate McCann has shown some disrespect for the Pope. It is claimed that she is a strong catholic and as a catholic would know that it is appropriate to cover your head, even if with a small peice of lace, as a mark of respect.

Lets now put this media frenzy to the back burner.

The coverage this story is getting is completely disproportionate. Over 450 kids have gone missing since the McCann child - with no attention lavished on them.

It is getting quite sickining as person after person and business after business line up to hitch their trailer to this bandwagon.

Please Britain, stop holding you breath and grow a back bone.

The coverage of this particular case is reaching ridiculous proportions, and attracting a sickening amount of sympathy.
These parents were not entirely blame free for their daughter's disappearance, yet they are milking the publicity without a thought to mention or share their exposure, with all the other thousands of parents worldwide who have undergone exactly the same trauma, or worse, and yet receive no public help or sympathy, each time they see Madeline's parents on TV, the mention of their beautiful, white middle class child must be too painful a reminder to bear. What happened to coverage of World Missing Children's day last week?

We all feel very sorry for the McCanns and we all wish that this never happened or at least that their daughter is found safely. I am sure that many project this tragedy onto themselves and shudder to think that it may have been their daughter.

My concern is that the widespread press coverage may have actually worsened the prospect of the young girl being returned. I also feel that the press should give prominence to so many other sad causes, many of which may actually be improved following widespread publicity eg starving orphans in poor countries.

I think that they should continue to seek all the media attention they can...I can't imagine what they must be going through and I can't help but think that I would do exactly the same if I were in the same position

Can anyone explain what makes their child any more news worthy than any other child who disappears?

If a Portugese child had gone missing in the UK would that have resulted in the same level of publicity?

Also, how would the British public have reacted to foreign press harrassment and also criticism of the UK Police Force?

Isympathise with them but did we forget all the others who have gone missing,time to rethink the Press and TV Coverage.

I am very uncomfortable with the amount of coverage the McCann's are receiving - would it be the same for a working class family? Is it right to reward them with an interview with the Pope when so many people, who have not brought misfortune upon themselves are not allowed this privilege?

While I feel immensely sorry for the McCann family and am happy they involve the media in their plight to find the poor child, I did begin to feel uneasy about the latest initiative with the Pope.

It is a little unfair towards all the other children who sadly go missing every day, or who die tragically. They deserve no less of this attention, but never receive it. I would prefer the media cover it to some extent, but not make it the prime story. Last week all 24 hour news channels switched to the story when Mr McCann arrived in his home village to look at the floral tributes. I found that excessive.

It's not that the McCanns don't deserve the attention, but that there are plenty of other families who deserve it at least as much.

Are the media perhaps also inspiring future kidnappings? Kidnappers seek this sort of attention!

Yea. I think they should give it their all, though not at the detriment of the twins. I'm a student in UK but have two daughters back at home in Nigeria and cant comprehend anything happening to them talkless of them been abducted. Even if its possible for them to talk to GOD directly for the sake of their daughter, they should pls do so. The intervention of the Pope, David Beckham and the media is as a result of the resolve of Maddy's parent to find her at all cost. So I personally appreciate these involvement and think this should not be questioned by any sane human being. Pls for the sake of the girl and other children(maybe it will put a stop to abduction)pls keep this in the spotlight and let there be no hiding place for people (abductors) who are a mistake of creation.

Celebrities should not get involved with this type of thing as they are of no real help and it is just publicity for them.
As for the Pope, if the family are Catholic, it will be of help mentally and spiritually but only if they are are Catholic.
The thing that I feel should be addressed is the amount of registered sex offender being allowed out of the UK on holiday.
I don't agree that registered sex offenders should be allowed out of of the country to go to peadophile resorts, to pray on vulnerable children.
Part of sex offenders punishment should that they loose their passports.

I think so. The media are very important, and they can help to find Maddie still alive. Sure the work that in the future the english media will have to do to me is to pay much more attention also about other cases of kidnapping.
I am italian and I have seen mr and mrs Mc Cann in visist in Vatican. I think that these two parents are seriously worried and densperate and they're fighting with all themselves to try to find their beautiful little kid Maddie. Great personalities can be helpful in these cases. And prayers are more than necessaries....

I think the David Beckham appeal was precise, discreet and all that was needed to show the world this little girl's face so that anyone could report if they saw her. That was sufficient. It is her face we need to keep in our minds.
I am sure that our police, who are liaising with the Portugese police, will ask if they feel more coverage is helpful. I do not think either Brown or the Pope should be involved. The family could be getting themselves onto a roundabout which they will find difficult to get off.

Yes, its a bit over the top and some people are wondering or even fed-up.

Yes, it is absolutely correct for the media to give this story as much coverage as Kate & Gerry McCann are comfortable with. If it is deemed appropriate by the police and the family to keep this story in the public eye then it is clearly important in the plan to get this little girl home safely and soundly. I must admit feeling a little uncomfortable with the 'celebrity status' of the parent - however, I feel that it is up to the British nation to give complete support, including media coverage, if that is what the family need. The plight of this family is in my dreams - it is clearly affecting people on a very deep and personal level - God only knows what Kate and Gerry are feeling and I feel that we should all do anything we can to help them feel supported and cared-for during this dreadful time.

Watching the parents in the media, it's almost as if they are using the mistake of leaving Madeliene alone as an opportunity not just to keep her image in the public eye but also courting celebrity status.

How many parents would trott across Europe meeting and greeting politicians, press and the papacy whilst their other siblings are being cared for by relatives, rather than remaining close to the areas where their child was lost ?

Yes, most definately. If any parents ever face this dire situation I am sure they would want to do everything in their power to bring her back. Good for them, and also it keeps them busy which is therapeutic.I will keep them in my prayers for her safe return.

No one can deny the personal tragedy that Madeline's family are suffering.

But it is precisely that - personal!
And a matter for her family, not the Pope, nor high-profile politicians, or celebrities.

Furthermore, interventions by these people can and will effect nothing. These peoples' portfolios could be better filled with helping solveable crises such as Sudan, Darfur, Kosovo, paedophilia, poverty, disease or a whole host of other causes.

The McCanns are not alone in their tragic predicament, and their decision to call upon the Pope and senior politicians is somewhat ostentacious in the light of more urgent problems, both global and local.

In igniting their campaign to these unbelievable levels, I would hope that they would broaden it to help other families, not just their own loss.

The media attention surrounding this missing person over exagerates the danagers presented to children, and is causing widespread over-reaction by many parents. Whilst dangers exist, the statistics show a society more protected now than at any other time in our history. Obviously this of no consolation to the McCanns.

Yes, everything must be done. A little girl has gone missing - presumed kidnapped - now is NOT the time to be blaming anybody for anything, except the perpetrator/s of this hideous event. If this was your child, you would count the grains of dust on every stone that you turn over, in every street from here to kingdom come. We must all do everything we can to ensure this little girl has a safe reunion with her parents. Whatever it takes.

The McCann family are only doing what any loving and caring family would do in their dreadful current predicament. Yes, they are very adept at ensuring their story remains in the public eye. But isn't the 大象传媒 doing exactly the same thing to ensure that Alan Johnston's plight is not forgotten, and quite rightly so. To be quite frank, I would much rather we all kept on reading about the latest developments in the Madeleine McCann story - all of us clinging to the hope that she is alive and being cared for by somebody - than have to read about Victoria Beckham's latest hairstyle or Pete Doherty's latest brush with the law. Stories such as this help us all to maintain a healthy grip on reality.

i really was shocked when i heard about poor little madeline,
then i was horrified when i heard the accounts of how she was taken. i think the media have been very kind to these people in their support. i really hope they find her, and i really hope others learn that it is insane to leave children unattended like this for any time.
who can do this and say they are caring correctly for their children?
being doctors, they are often in line to judge how parents are looking after thier children, they really are to blame for this

I sympathise with the familie's plight- however feel that there has been rather to much attention/focus placed on the case by the media. My cynical view is that the media has a vested interest. One wonders why more attention is not paid to what is happening in Darfur, Iraq or the DRC? Aren't the stories these places have to tell worth our viewing?

You have to ensure that images of Madeleine are kept in the forefront of the public eye. I'd much rather see the media used for this purpose rather than running endless garbage about Big Brother or Katie Price. So many questions remain about the circumstances of her abduction. But these can and should wait until Madeleine's fate is known.

Clearly the McCanns have been advised that Madeleine could be anywhere in the world and the one thing they can do to make her return more likely is to keep the global publicity levels as high as possible. Any parents in their position would surely want to do the same.

The uncomfortable question is whether all parents in similar circumstances would have access to the same support and network of contacts. Given that the answer is probably not, maybe it's time to consider a Europe-wide or global protocol for missing children to which nations could sign-up. As soon as a child goes missing, a central publicity machine could click into motion, so all parents benefit from the same level of support and attention.

But that's no criticism of the McCanns - they've got to do whatever they can, and publicity is just about the only lever they have right now.

Anything that might help find Madeline is appropriate, there is still a chance of finding her if the story is kept in the media. It is certainly more important than the reporting many other long running issues like "Big Brother" or celebrity weddings for example.

My heart goes out to the McCanns and their dreadful plight. Like millions I hope that the child's disaperence will be resolved soon and happily. For once, even with ulterior motives, the British press has responded magnificiently.
However I am worried that this dreadful occurence is overshadowing other child disapperences such as the case of Jeremi in the Canary Islands which seems forgotten.

I would never even begin to criticise the McCann family for doing what they're doing. I utmost support them in everything they do that they feel goes some way to comforting their grief.

However, I do take issue with the media for ignoring other kidnapped children who don't emotionally connect with the public like Madeleine does. I do take issue with the media for manipulating the emotions of the public to sell more papers. I do take issue with celebrities for jumping on this PR bandwagon to further their own cause. And I do take issue with the general public for using Madeleine as an outlet for their own guilt; the guilt in knowing that they go through life ignoring the plight of the millions of kidnapped/impoverished/enslaved children in the world... some of which are in the UK. Much like someone feeling they've done their charitable bit by donating 拢1 a month to Oxfam.

If I was parent of another kidnapped child, both currently or in the past, I can't even begin to imagine the sort of rage I would be feeling at this sense of injustice.

I sympathise for the McCanns' situation, but given the time which has elapsed, consider the continued coverage to be excessive and I am not certain as to what purpose it actually serves or to which end. I would also question the intentions of such "celebrated" figures getting involved.

It's difficult to say really isn't it? As a parent I can't wish them enough luck in finding Madeleine and hope they get any help they can, yet I also feel angry that they ever left her alone (but that's not the question here).

It's a bit like any story that gets special coverage. Many more people go missing or are killed etc on a daily basis but go un-noticed. It reminds me of the time after 9/11 when millions of pounds were sent to aid the families of a few hundred firefighters in the US. It stuck a bit in my throat that we were sending money (and made to feel guilty if we didn't) to the richest nation on earth for the benefit of a few hundred families. Meanwhile millions of families worldwide struggle to get through each day in times of war, famine, disease etc, yet again they go largely un-noticed.

There is perhaps a very fine line to tread about giving over media time to one child, but I suppose on balance if the media want to do it and the family can maintain that momentum through their corporate sponsors then there may be a chance of getting a little girl back to her parents. I do have a concern over the exposure of the corporate sponsors though. I am sure it is largely down to the fact that the parents are well educated professionals that they can manage this publicity. I have no doubt that we wouldn鈥檛 be hearing half of it had the parents been less well connected and educated.

I can understand the parents' wish to keep their daughter's disappearance in the public eye, and I appreciate why they are doing it, but interest will inevitably wane and they will have to get on with their lives, in the knowledge that it was their lack of common sense which gave the perpetrator the opportunity to abduct her.

I feel desperately sorry for them, and particularly for little Madeleine, and whatever she is going through at the moment, and hope against hope that she will be returned "unharmed" in time, but the parents have a lot to answer for.

Beckham, Brown and the Pope won't make a shred of difference to the eventual outcome.

Well, unless Gordon Brown, David Beckham and the Pope have tremendous crime-solving skills that none of us are aware of, their intervention will most likely be pointless.

No one will ever know when the lines are crossed and this will only be answered by anyone whose ever been in their place! maybe its too much media but wouldnt anyone else do the same thing if it was their child?

What about all the other children that have gone missing in the last four weeks?

Hi

I see no problem in the use of the media to recover any person taken unlawfully.

The 大象传媒 are using the media to attempt to release alan Johnson, so why should the same methods be used to release Madeline.

If more emphasis was put into the issue of lost children perhaps it would act as a derrent to the takers.

I do have issue with the media in carping on about the Portuguese police, they do things differently than our police, its thier country, give them some respect.

Finally I do take to task how some of your correspondents can appear to make TV news out of nothing, truly a gift!!

I have to agree with Simon D. I have great sympathy for them in what must be a hellish time, but I can't help but wonder how everyone would be reacting if the parents had been young, or low-income, or just a single-parent... perhaps the media would have had the same sympathy? Perhaps not.

Everything that can be done to bring back the child safely is appropriate, if and only if there were precedents like this.If there are no precedents then it will still be appropriate if and only if from now on any similar situation will be given similar attention and concern.

Hi

I see no problem in the use of the media to recover any person taken unlawfully.

The 大象传媒 are using the media to attempt to release alan Johnson, so why should the same methods be used to release Madeline.

If more emphasis was put into the issue of lost children perhaps it would act as a derrent to the takers.

I do have issue with the media in carping on about the Portuguese police, they do things differently than our police, its thier country, give them some respect.

Finally I do take to task how some of your correspondents can appear to make TV news out of nothing, truly a gift!!

Of course the McCanns are in a terrible situation but they have had far too much media coverage. I'm sure there are hundreds of people all over the world who are missing right now but because they are not young, female, photogenic and with intelligent people who know how to keep things in the media looking for them, they are never mentioned. Another point about the McCanns story is that having lost one child through leaving her alone in a hotel room, they then left their other two children behind when they went to visit the Pope.

No the media is not right to continue giving the story such prominence. Individuals can sympathise with the McCanns and offer any support they choose but as individuals, not as figureheads unless thay are prepared to do the same for all children that are snatched or subjected to any other form of ill treatment. I really hope thay find Madeleine for her sake and for her family. Let me leave with with the thought of my 10 year old niece who has been following this story and is really concerned about Madeleine. 'They should never have left her on her own'.

The McCanns are doing everything they can to get their beloved daughter back, as would any parent, though their success in obtaining an extraordinary amount of media coverage is simply down to the professional advice and the financial resources they have been able to tap into.

Like any news story, viewer fatigue sets in, though I can understand the media's fixation with Madeleine much better than I can theirs with the likes of nonentities such as Paris Hilton or Calum Best, with whom I am confronted daily.

In the meantime there seems to be 'great PR' to be had by politicians and celebrities in associating themselves with this case, though it is a shame that so many 'ordinary' families with missing children don鈥檛 get anywhere near this kind of attention.

I hope that Madeleine is found safe and well, though she was snatched while her parents dined well away from their children asleep in their holiday apartment. That doesn鈥檛 mean that their plight is self-inflicted or deserved, though journalists and editors should not confuse this case with a 鈥淗olly and Jessica鈥� type scenario. They are being hoodwinked by a well-planned media campaign and no matter how sad, it鈥檚 probably time for the media to move on.

It is an appalling situation for the McCann family to be in, but many other families are in similar situations and perhaps those families have had their children taken in less unavoidable situations; therefore the media and other such attention is frankly astonishing.

Yes, I am happy withy the coverage levels.!

Of course, it's tragic how this happened... but I am also uneasy about is the many many other children that go missing everything year that don't and won't ever get the same amount of publicity as this.

I would never even begin to criticise the McCann family for doing what they're doing. I utmost support them in everything they do that they feel goes some way to comforting their grief.

However, I do take issue with the media for ignoring other kidnapped children who don't emotionally connect with the public like Madeleine does. I do take issue with the media for manipulating the emotions of the public to sell more papers. I do take issue with celebrities for jumping on this PR bandwagon to further their own cause. And I do take issue with the general public for using Madeleine as an outlet for their own guilt; the guilt in knowing that they go through life ignoring the plight of the millions of kidnapped/impoverished/enslaved children in the world... some of which are in the UK. Much like someone feeling they've done their charitable bit by donating 拢1 a month to Oxfam.

If I was parent of another kidnapped child, both currently or in the past, I can't even begin to imagine the sort of rage I would be feeling at this sense of injustice.

I think the McCanns are playing it perfectly (though the word "playing" is a bit inappropriate, I expect). What choice do they have? Wouldn't any parent move heaven and earth to get their abducted child back, safe and sound?

That there is still ANY media coverage after a month shows how successful their campaign has been. The media are still right to cover the story as much as possible, given the continued public interest, almost wholly generated by that campaign. As a result of that public interest it is indeed appropriate that "VIP's" intervene... the majority of the public expect and want them to; surely they know that?

You say SOME are beginning to feel "uneasy" about the campaign and the coverage. Who? Why? Whoever they are, they strike me as being entirely out of touch with the overwhelming majority, and I can only imagine they are rather cold and uncaring, or a little jealous of the McCann's success in maintaining interest.

Sure, it would be good that every missing child received such continuing publicity after the first few days, and then we might get more abducted children back. How can that ever be "inappropriate"?

Yes, I have been feeling uneasy, and have been trying to analyse why. After all, I'm a mother, and would be utterly devastated if one of my children had been abducted. (They're grown ups now, and I still worry about them.) I sympathise with the McCanns enormously. So why the unease?
I think I'm feeling for all those other children around the world whose plight is not getting this kind of attention, and a little voice in my head is asking, "what makes the McCann parents so special that they have been given this access to publicity?" (It sounds crazy but I found myself wondering if they had close associates somewhere 'at the top' in the media.) What upsets me, I think, is the thought of all those little ones who have been abducted across Europe and elsewhere in the past 12 months and their parents who have not received this coverage and help from the media. How must they be feeling? Why are their little ones less important? And inevitably, I think of the little children dying in Iraq, or losing all four limbs, or half of their faces. Or being sexually abused, as they are.
I don't begrudge the McCanns any help they can get from the public, and I hope to God that their little girl is found. But I don't really see what help we can give by watching them meeting the Pope, or her picture being blessed by him.
And somewhere in my heart, I want to see all the other suffering kiddies getting the same chance as Madeleine. And it doesn't happen.

Quote:

"Some observers point out that Madeleine comes from a well-heeled British family (both of her parents are doctors), unlike so many Portuguese or immigrant children whose disappearance has drawn scant attention from the press.

"Brazilian-Portuguese activist Ana Filgueiras told IPS that 'the deployment of resources to find the missing girl is laudable, but it is regrettable that the same does not happen in the case of people who are less well-off. In Portugal we have never before seen a mobilisation of this magnitude'."

Source:

If it were my daughter (and I have two) I would do anything to get her back from the sick person who is holding her. Instead of having a go at the parents, isn't it about time the law was changed to make the punishment fit the crime - the parents are being tortured; torture the perpetrator(s) when they are caught (and anyone else involved).

Like most people I can barely begin to understand the loss the McCann's must feel, and I admire their determination, but I have been uneasy about their campaign for some time. The coverage must be very difficult for other parents whose children have been abducted or are missing, both bringing back painful memories and possibly anger for those who have not had the benefit of so much media attention. There are, I feel, also questions for the McCanns about the night of Madeleine's disappearance. It is, in the very least, irresponsible to leave a three year old and two younger children unsupervised. And finally I feel uneasy about the 'fighting fund', which appears to be supporting the McCann's stay in Portugal. Again other parents have, and more no-doubt will, endured similar tragedies without such support and at great sacrifice. Why is this case so different?

I do not wish to be harsh, because the McCann's plight is awful.
However they should not have left their children unattended.

Whilst sympathising totally with the McCanns' plight I am sure many couples will resent comments in the media suggesting that all parents have been guilty at some time of sneaking off for some personal children free time. Undoubtedly many do when they think they are in safe surroundings but many more would simply never contemplate such action. Unfortunately the McCanns' actions cannot in all truth be considered anything else but neglect, however harsh that might seem.

Without doubt the McCanns' will be guilt stricken by their actions and of course no legal punishment for their neglect could ever come close to what they must be going through now but at some point they will have to come to terms with the consequences of their actions. Meanwhile we can only hope and pray for the safe return of a completely innocent little girl.

I agree with the post Simon D. I am originally from Rome,previuosly Roman Catholic,but not any more.Despite the coverage of the case by the British media,it hasn't been big news in Italy.Tha family has been given a good place at Wednesday's Audience,but nothing more (by the way,the allocation of the tickect is handled by one of my former Irish teachers in Rome,and twice I had even better places,shaking my hands with Pope Paul VI).Sadly, the Roman Catholic establishment and, more significantly, everyone I know in Italy has said what's in Simon D. post from the very the beginning.Culture of how to handle children is different there, so much that they would probably be already under investigation down there

Yes, I a, happy withy the coverage levels.!

While I feel for the child, I do think that the media has gone a bit crazy over it. Plus, I hope that if or when the child is found, the parents are immediately gailed for leaving them unattended. People seem to be forgetting how this happened.

Besides, there are thousands of abductions going on that could do with this kind of coverage. What about them?

Get the McCanns off the telly, I'm sick of it. It is news no longer.

Of course, it's tragic how this happened... but I am also uneasy about is the many many other children that go missing everything year that don't and won't ever get the same amount of publicity as this.

I have started to cringe when I hear about the McCann's and their next press conference. I have every sympathy for them, and would dearly love Madeleine to be returned to them unharmed, but I can't help feeling that this 'campaign' complete with 'manager' is in very poor taste - they do seem to be prepared to leave their children behind.

Would this media coverage be similar if it was a family from a council housing estate? No! the Social Services would be 'in like Flynn' taking the other childre into care.

Why are some people feeling uneasy? Would they prefer that the McCanns stop doing absolutely everything to try to find their child? Do these people think it is the McCann's own fault their daughter has gone missing and if so, deserve everything they get? If so, do these people never leave their children with a babysitter or let them go out to play unsupervised? As long as my children are safe I would dare criticise the McCann family and bring upon them any more horror and stress than they must surely already be experiencing. Think carefully before you judge.

I understand why the McCann's are pursuing this through the media and their resilience and relentlessness are to be commended. However, I have never felt comfortable about this situation. Their three children were asleep in their apartment, but what if one wakes up and is ill, sick maybe? They were checking every half hour apparently. Three children, one aged 3 and two aged 2, were left alone in a room for up to half an hour. I cannot fathom why anyone would or could do that. They are intelligent, educated professionals. What on earth were they doing? They shouldn't be left alone for 1 minute.

Whilst everyone can sympathise with the plight of the McCann's, I would think that many people are becoming uneasy about the amount of publicity being given to this case.

Also, there has been little discussion
in the media about the crass stupidity, not to say gross negligence of the McCanns in locking
up three children under four in a hotel bedroom whilst they dined in a nearby restaurant. Their excuse - everybody does it at one time or another. Few intelligent people would agree with such sentiments. It would be of interest to know if leicestershire Social Services are taking an interest in their conduct. Sorry I can't be more sympathetic.

Peter.

The McCann's have put themselves on a treadmill - and have no easy way to get off.

It must be so hard to say to each other - there is no more we can do, we must start thinking about the other children, the future, etc. and still hope...

Who is going to say it first. And then things turn inward, and blame and recrimination can start to creep in.

It is a sad truth that couples in this sort of situation often split up in the years following.

Good luck to them. They will need it.

It is clear that the McCanns are using every oportunity to try and have their girl found.
I wonder though, about all the other missing children, and the lack of coverage and support their families recieve, and therefore what kind of precedent the media are setting.

Why did well educated professionals leave 3 children unsupervised in an unsecured apartment?

Whilst I feel for the children & the suffering of the parents, I would arrest them on conclusion of the situation.

So-called "chav" parents would find themselves in a more sticky position, both with the police & media

Watch the media turn on the McCanns

What has happened is terrible but i have to think if this was a couple from a council estate would the press be so kind, but the fact is they left the child alone in a strange country unbelievable

I do have sympathy for them as losing a child must be terrible, but I would like to know when the parents will be prosecuted for neglecting their children by leaving them alone in an apartment while they went out for dinner?

I think anything that keeps Madeleine in the minds of the public is a good thing, unfortunately people quickly forget. As the police seem to be getting nowhere fast, it could be Joe Public that provides that vital clue or sighting that brings Madeleine back to her family. How can anyone say that is a bad thing?

I have a lot of sympathy with the McCanns, but it looks as if this thing is turning into a very personal circus. Would it not be better to rather put their focus on establishing a fund to help irradicate paedophiles in general by supporting police forces world wide to bring them to justice in stead of businessmen spending a fortune on private jet rides etc to just highlight the plight of one person in a personal media frenzy.

I am getting to the point of being angry with the Mccanns - this should not be an appropriate emotion in connection with a missing child.

However, the manipulation of the media is inappropriate. The pictures of parents making pilgrimages (Portugal and the Vatican) should not be published. Why on earth did David Beckham get involved?

As others had said, if this had been a single mum on a 拢9.50 Sun holiday voucher break in a holiday camp who had not taken advantage of the babysitting facilities, think of the outcry and accusations of neglect and unfit-ness. These educated parents should have known better than to leave young children alone. It's not the same as being in the garden, as has been said - at least then the children are in their own familiar setting. It's been reported that the McCanns checked on the children every hour. Even if this was every half and hour, that's an eternity for a small, frightened child waking in a strange room with no mummy or daddy coming when they cry.

Enough is enough - and this is now more than enough and bordering on the obscene.

I agree with Simon D, whilst my heart goes out to the little girl one has to ask why 3 children were left alone. Had this been a single mum I believe the story would have been quite different.

It has amazed me how much 'power' this family seems to possess in order to have the kind of high-level support they are receiving. Let's not forgot these parents were highly irresponsible and more than a little selfish and it is entirely their fault that such a young child is missing.

I think the media is manipulating the Mc Canns. They are are a very photogenic couple with adorable children and being involved in their heart-wrenching and harrowing drama looks good on whomever. But those celebrities may have their own reasons for wanting press coverage which shows them as compassionate and caring. Maybe I'm being too cynical. My sympathy is for the NcCanns when they or the media decide that enough is enough. That will be their darkest hour.

We can only guess what is going through the minds of the parents, they have already expressed their feelings of self guilt.I believe that they need every support possible and I will and others will continue to pray for them.

I would do anything if anything happened to my children. Am sure the majority of parents the world over would do the same. Don't criticise their attempts to do anything to find their baby girl.

More power to their elbow. In their position I would hope to do the same. No one cares for their child as they do. Their love is and should be uncompromising. So it should be.

When the story fist broke it was reported that they almost in view of their apartment from the restaurent,looking at a map of the complex,I was dismayed. I have no kids but I would have used the babysitting service that were on offer, I hope they do find their daughter safe and well, but they should look to what more they could have done for the safty of their children

It is there duty as good parents to do whatever they can to find their little girl. And how does the saying "he who is without sin cast the first stone". I hope they catch the person who did this and find this little girl safe. It is the sick perverts who take little children like this who should be give the negative press.
Chris

they cannot be criticised; their child has been taken and anyone would do everything possible to get their child back. The difference is that they have the wherewithal, education and willpower to use whatever resources are available to try and get their child back. It's a shame that all parents of kidnapped children are unable, for a host of reasons, to do the same.

i guess i don't understand - was there a sitter left with the children when the parents went to dinner ? - and i do not feel comfortable with so much sensational press coverage - though if it brings a miracle return of the little girl to her family then whatever it takes .........

Every morning I watch the news and hear all about the grief of the McCann's. Every evening I watch the news and hear yet more about the grief of the McCann's. Now they have been granted an audience with the Pope. This snowballing campaign is turning rapidly into farce. When will the media stop being the puppet of the 'Friends of Madeline' bandwagon, and start to say what the vast majority of the population are thinking: ultimately, the inescapable fact is that the McCann's preferred to dine alone rather than stay with their three young children. Please, start reporting the real issues of the world.

If any loved one goes missing for whatever reason the rest of the family are desparate for news and will accept help from anyone who offers it
Our daughter went missing for 9 weeks and we were grateful for all help given whether by family ,friends or outside agencies such as tv and radio programmes missing persons and big issue sellers.
I think the McCann family should accept all the help offered from whoever offers it from the highest to the lowest{perhaps even seeking help from the "underworld"}.
They need and want answers . They cannot get on with their lives until they have some sort of outcome.
While they are getting support from the famous they are keeping awarenss going.
We are going to Germany next week and I shall be looking out just incase.

I am shocked that someone can lambast a Mother whose child has been abducted for not wearing a headscarf.

Do you not think she has enough to think about such that clothing is not important.

I am shocked that people think this is 'milking' publicity.

Do you not think that they just desperately want to re-piece their family together?

I am shocked that some would call for the other children to be taken into care.

These poor people made a mistake. They are paying for it in the most heinous way.

If one child is abducted from the supposed safety of their bed then we are all at risk. If one child can be found by our efforts then we all have hope for whatever type of rescue we need.

If it were my daughter ... whatever my errors of judgement ... I would want the world to help to look for her and I would do everything I could and had to do.

Surely anyone would do that for someone that they loved.

I feel very sorry for the poor little girl in all this. Whatever has happened to her, it must have been terrifying. Although it's important to use all avenues available to try to find her, somehow there is something very unreal about the coverage and, to my mind, the behaviour of the McCanns. I just cannot help feeling that there is something not quite right about the whole affair.

Well, it is not at all a wrong media campaign. But i personally would love that many others could have the same opportunity of being cover by the press when attrocities like this or of the other kind happen.

Pope, Beckham and others would spend their precious time for how many else? and why in this case?

Why this case is then more important than other millons?

Why shouldn't the McCanns' make use of all available resources - media, celebrity, political? In their position, I would probably do the same.

The moot question for me though is not centred around the way in which the McCanns' have skillfully mobilized these various resources to keep Madeline in the public eye, but whether or not the same resources (and treatment in the media) would have been made available to any parents in a similar position who were not middle-class, well educated people, with professional jobs that have socially accepted status and standing?

It's a debacle. Personally, I think the McCanns should feel thoroughly ashamed.

The media coverage of this is ludicrous and the intervention of such high profile figures as Gordon Brown is just a sad indictment on our society.

What about the tens of thousands of parents and families who have missing relatives who have probably never even had the smallest piece in the local paper about their agony?

The major point here though, as much as the McCanns try to evade it by claiming "thousands of parents would have done the same", is that they left all three of their tiny children alone.

It doesn't matter if you're five miles or five yards away, to leave them unattended is sickening.

Some parents really don't deserve the gift of children. I just pray little Madeleine is returned safe and unharmed.

Crazy thing is though, I genuinely believe the mass hysteria and press intrusion into every aspect of the case has destroyed any chance of someone returning Madeleine even if that thought was in their minds.

The McCanns are educated middle class people. They are using the press to their own advantage.

Any sane parent in the same situation would if they could.

It's just that life is unfair - some of us have more influence others.

First answer: yes.
Second answer: lessons will be learned from the McCann's situation, thanks to their management of the media in this crisis and that will help other children in the future. In the US the alert goes out onto the highways soon after an abduction - this will now change in the UK if not Europe as a whole, for instance.

when it comes to the question about 'saving life', I would generously loud the concerted efffots of all concerned in the search for the little McCann. I feel that, as long as the media coverage lasts, so would be the uneasiness and fear of the perpetrator(s).who knows what could happen next!

The McCanns are educated middle class people. They are using the press to their own advantage.

Any sane parent in the same situation would if they could.

It's just that life is unfair - some of us have more influence than others.

This is no doubt a tragedy but it is a personal one. Many children and young adults go missing each year, weather they are taken or leave of their own volition, to perpetually cover the plight of one family is unfair and unbecoming of 'quality' news media and an insult to the dozens of families destroyed by losing a child in this way.

Further there is the question of who is using who? There is a worrying symbiosis between the family and the media. The media delight in the family's willingness to publicly flaunt their composed grieve and the pity which this garners - the whole circus is becoming increasingly nauseating to watch. Furthermore, the media sees this opportunity to indulge its very worst habit: offering up fatuous and ill-informed commentary on each and every aspect of anything that could vaguely be called a 'development', while the family's 'management' seemingly expert management of the media makes for a very ugly scene indeed.

The media's duty is to report a story in an accurate, balanced and proportionate manner, with this story they have failed in every respect.

I was in the US as this story was developing, and the media there definitely portray the parents as being at fault for having left their daughter alone to enjoy the good life. Why isn't the UK media more critical of the parents? They must have Max Clifford on the case! In the US, they would have been immediately denounced as irresponsible and never given the opportunity to frame the Portuguese authorities. I bet part of their success is their ability to capitalise on stereotypes of lax Mediterranean police authorities, which cater to the UK's thinly veiled Europhobia.

The McCann parents have every right to use every means of communication to help bring their child back. Of course the media should give greater coverage to missing children in the EU and around the world. Should the media circus move on, then Madeleine would just become another tiny statistic. Pat Hunt

Can you contemplate, having suffered the awful plight that the McCann's have, leaving your other two little children behind whilst you go off on a highly publicised trip to Rome? I cannot begin to know how the McCann's must be suffering, but the fact that they did this left me stunned. In my view they have crossed the line between profile raising and publicity seeking.

I quite honestly admire the parents on the effect they've had on an international audience: They have put in an excellant effort, any other parents would have wanted to do the same thing. As a result they have recieved massive international support.

HOWEVER, I believed right from the start that the whole concept is wrong. I'm guessing that in the world since Madeline has gone missing, the number of abductions has passed way over a billion & yet western civilisation in Europe follows just one little girl. The celebrities, the posters, the 'madeline fund', all this going to help find one particular girl. I admire the strength of the parents greatly & they've put in a massive effort to capture international help, but it crossed the line as soon as they began. With the amount of money raised through the 'Madeline Fund', more than 150,000 people dyeing of Leprasy in Africa could be cured. 150,000. yet the money is going to Western Police & special agents.
Somewhere in the system, Western Civilisation has gone horribly wrong.

It seems like over-coverage but it is not. I know the power of publicity, I have had to use PR in campaigns all my life and on behalf of many others. Long may it go on, and then and only then will we get to the child and then truth.

I too, am a little bothered by the immense publicity machine which is ongoing in this tragic affair.

But then, I ask myself, if this was my child, would I not use every tool available, and go to the ends of the earth to get her back?

I think it is a sad reflection upon our culture of "fast news", "gossip culture" and "celebrity frenzy" when many individuals posting on this page are indicating that they are "tired" of efforts to save the life of an infant - I wonder what other matters they feel are more important than a human life? I can sympathise with those individuals who have said that there are more deserving subjects that should be given a priority -but surely the argument is that they should also be televised in preference to the majority of sensationalistic articles seen today, not that the coverage for the McCanns' should stop?

I would do exactly what the McCann's have done and I wish them the best of luck.

Those who criticise should reflect on how they would feel if it was their lovely daughter who was missing.

The media took over this story from the moment Madeleine's disappearance was reported. The fact that the prime suspect was an English ex-pat was the ingredient which kept the story going. As far as I know, the McCanns did not ask personalitites such as David Beckham, or politicians such as Gordon Brown, to make public appeals. That was completely media driven but, I'm sure, was certainly a great source of comfort to the parents. As devout Catholics, it was quite natural for them to turn to Rome, and I am equally sure it was not the McCanns who suggested an audience with The Pope, who is accustomed to respond to such appeals, but their advisers.
The McCanns have conducted themselves with supreme dignity, whilst acknowledging their agonising guilt at having left the children alone in the first place. Any 'over-egging' of the story can only be laid at the door of the media.

I am quite sure that the people who carried out this abduction and those who still hold Madeleine are heartily wishing that the media publicity would evaporate and all mention and thought of her would vanish from the public's mind. Then they will be free to continue as if nothing has happened, which must have been their plan - just as happened with little Ben (Needham ?) who disappeared in Greece at the age of two and has never been discovered. He must be 20 years old now, with no knowlegde as to his real family, who must continue to long to find him. To cease to look for Madeleine is to co-operate with her abductors.

I firmly believe that all those who say that the McCanns are not guilt free, should reconsider what they have said. How many times have those mothers gone into the garden to put washing out or do some other chore. It only takes a minute for this to happen. The McCanns should summon up all the help that they can get to persue this matter to the end. It is unfortunate that there are lots more children like Maddeline who are missing in the world, but that does not mean all efforts should not be made to track them down. Considering the geography of Praia de Luz, I think it likely that she was taken to Morocco.

I understand what the McCanns must be going through.I lost a child of 2 months because of a cot death.The loss of a child in their circumstances must be even more devastating.The desolation they must be feeling at this time is indescribable to anyone who has not been through a similar experience.I do feel however that their tragedy has been hijacked by the media and that the time has come to give them space to come to to terms with what has happened.

The media should continue giving this story such prominence untill she is found. I can say the circumstance under which she disappeared is not only confined to her parents but it may confront others in a similar manner. So if it is not given such attention, it may remain as a worrying development.

So everyone, from any capacity, should keep contributing in any helpful way.

In our culture-Dinka in South Sudan, there is a saying that if you lose one cow under mysterious circumstance, you have to lose as many cows as it takes to establish the fact about how this cow got lost in the first place.

This is not because one cow is more important than other cows you may lose, but it is because if left it unconfirmed, it may cost you more cows than if you would have accepted to lose more cows so as to follow that circumstance to its destination.

Therefore, this child is imporatnt before the world, parents and God but may not be this coverage's worth.

Nonetheless, media and everybody, from any capacity, should concern themselves with the mysterious disappearanc of this child. And that media has to continue so as to unearth the truth about this circumstance. I mean media should continue to follow this circumstance to its destination. I am hoping this would not mark the new war on the mysterious disappearance of children.

The message seems to me to be that if you that if you are seriously negligent in the care you give your children, far from prosecuting you, we will turn you into media personalities. How can they bear to leave their other 2 children behind and both go galivanting off to see the Pope? What exactly will this acheive?

Who exactly is feeling uneasy? And for what reasons? "Is it 'approriate' that high profile figures intervene" - Why wouldn't it be? I don't see what harm any of this could possibly do. The story will run its own course and in its own time - any publicity is good publicity in this case. The chinstrokers should just ignore it if it's bothering them.

WHO CAN SAY WHAT I RIGHT OR WRONG.

TRY NOT TO JUDGE WHEN YOU HAVE NEVER WALKED IN THEIR SHOES.

My heart goes out to the McCann family. But the hysteria surrounding the coverage of the case is beginning to resemble that which followed Princess Diana's death. The problem is that, by making such comments, one is perceived to be heartless.

However, this degree of coverage cannot be sustained, particularly when there are few, if any, actual relevant developments. In fact, I think the amount of publicity is such that it might be hindering matters now, as many people will, frankly, be getting bored. I realise that may sound heartless, but it's just how it is I'm afraid. It may sound harsh, but there are bigger issues on the grand scale of things, to say nothing of the many other missing children in this country and elsewhere.

We all have our own worries in life, about our own problems and those of our families and close friends. It's just not realistic to expect most people to get too emotionally involved for too long in other people's issues, no matter how heart-rending they may be.

Yes of course. If I was them I would do anything it took to get news of my child.

In reality the media coverage is steadily turning into wallpaper. They have done their best to keep it going, but there is no longer a real story for them to report. Stories need an ending. Sooner or later something will happen to re-direct their attention and that will more or less be that until there is a resolution to the abduction. Sad, but true.

In the meantime the McCanns will continue to beat themselves up for leaving their children long enough for one of them to be abducted. Perhaps what they are doing is their way of dealing with it.

If I found myself in the same predicament, I honestly wouldn't know what to do with myself every hour of every day... I think they are doing pretty well, all things considered.

Ignoring how it all happened in the first place as moot until she is found, safe and well, these parents and their supporters have done all that could be expected of them in the circumstances. And if what has transpired is what it takes to get a positive result then one could hope for no more.

Thing is, as a matter of analysis (without knowing) I do wonder if this has been, necessarily, 'what it takes'?

If a kidnapper is keeping a child hostage, surely continuing to stir up a witch hunt after an initial potential 'in-flight' intercept phase may well make it impossible to support an extra person, and lead to them abandoning any attempt at nurture. This, sadly, is an aspect that needs to be considered.

If, however, constant high profile is deemed the best way, I am unsure how jogging an international memory of this child's fate is served by half a dozen camera angles of her parents getting on a private jet, as happened in a broadcast slot I saw last night... especially as it was with no reminder of what this poor kid looks/may now look like. If they ever get kidnapped, or one of the scores of po-faced reporters on Maddy-watch, I鈥檒l spot them in a heartbeat.

As to the geniuses in charge of government, church, etc; while it's a tricky choice and almost impossible to resist, I look forward to how they now address every other cause that they could/should allow themselves to be bolted onto in the name of 鈥榓wareness鈥�. Precedent, guys, precedent.

Because, unless they can clone themselves and persuade the media that every one they subsequently hook up with is just as vital, I am trying to imagine all concerned explaining just why they can't do it every ten minutes without it looking just a tad like in this case they were playing to the gallery.

I know it's a terrible choice, but that is what leadership is for.

But if it was my kids I'd be doing every last thing I could, too, so good luck to them. I don't know (does anyone?), but just hope it was the right thing to do, for the child's sake.

Early on in this case, I recall the thoughts of an ex-Yard 鈥榚x-pert鈥�, who鈥檇 been wheeled on to comment on the beastly Portuguese not issuing a blow-by-blow media briefing as they went house to house. He muttered that 鈥榮ome of my mates still in the force here would rather prefer to get on with their jobs than feeding the media every ten minutes鈥�. Can鈥檛 help but feel they may, in this case, know better, and have a point.

Have you ever had a child ?

i do feel so sorry for this family also for any other famil's who have lost a child .but woner if press are helping or could they be pushing kidnapper into a corner.i also feel it is now time for the twins to return home and await there sister joining them

Some pretty churlish comments so far.
I'm not a parent myself so can only imagine the anguish the McCann's must be going through and in their position I'm sure I would be doing exactly the same. In esscence there is little else they can do and that feeling of impotence must add to the strain they're under.
Having said that the media coverage has been ridiculous at some points and while you would expect that from the tabloids, the 大象传媒 shipping in more correspondents than to a war zone to interview one another on 24 hour loop when there was no new information has looked farcical. The fault however lies with newspaper editors and newsroom editors in their prioritisation, not the McCann's. If the media so desired they could maitain the profile of the case while not endlessly recycling the same information already in the public domain.
To those who are 'so over it' the answer is simple don't read the article or change the channel.

We're used to the media manipulating us, look at the way it has contributed to the housing boom by continually reporting bullish news and ignoring anything remotely bearish. I guess this is just a rare example of the media being manipulated. They want their child back - who wouldn't. It's just a shame they are not using the attention they are getting to highlight the plight of all the other children that have gone missing before and since. It is interesting that more questions aren't being asked about the fact that the children were left alone. I just wonder what would be happening if this was a less educated family.

To suggest that the McCanns are 'milking' their plight and enjoying a 'celebrity status' is utterly despicable.

These people are in absolute hell. Every second of every day. And there may be no end to the torment. Compounding that is their guilt.

Those feelings are not subject to class, education, perceived status. They are in agony.

To add to that by being cruel and apportioning blame is a shameful thing to do.

Does anyone still care about this?
the only problem to me is that the real news is now given 50% of the time in some of the press - but you can read serious papers and listen to serious news and the McCanns are out of the picture already. Maybe here I can appropriately say Thank God!

I think that every childs life is precious and if any child can be returned safe and sound to it's parents by what ever means, then that is the only thing that matters

"Her parents have cooperated heavily with the media to keep her in the public eye"

As does one of your correspondents above, I too have the feeling that the media have cooperated with the McCanns, rather than the other way around. Of course the situation is frightful for them - but as a mother myself, I find it inconceivable that anyone would leave a three year old unattended in a ground floor bedroom. That is history (sadly), and we all hope and pray for their daughter's safe return, soon. BUT I find myself asking, Who ARE these McCanns, that they can apparently call up such amazing media resources? Are they in the media business? Are they millionaires? If so, why hasn't there been a ransom demand? What else would the media be telling us about, but are not, because they are filling airtime with the McCanns' story? I find it all very strange and curious.

I am unwillingly, becoming more and more imune to what would in the past have been earth shattering headline news and without question have stirred our very consiousness. But the world has changed. We are now brainwashed by spin and media stage management, no longer able to understand, or, keep up with how did those poor people get on after the last Tsunami, or, the droughts in Africa that killed millions of people. or, child poverty. It has now become the sole perogative of Media or Government to orchestrate solutions on a daily basis. My conscience is somewhat relieved now to learn that the stage managers have now secured those auspicious services of Pope Paul to give his blessing, to a photograph !!

this sort of mindless twaddle on your programme suggests that it is finally heading towards the Panorama and Tonght with Trevor McDoanld level of gutter journalism. I have (thankfully) a young 3 year old daughter and I would feel no different to the McCanns in using the media. Surely that is all politicians do on a daily basis - manage the news agenda? Perhaps the programme should be focusing on the chronic ineptitude of the police involved in this case and why as a member of the European Union they have a very singular approach to this sort of case!

It's difficult isn't it?
Charles Elliott wrote a book once called 'Comfortable Compassion?' about the massive response to Live aid and all that went with it.
The massive hype about little Madeline may seem over the top, but if it was my daughter, I would want every scrap of help I could mobilise.
Ie leaves the question hanging, what about all the other lost children?

It is the most riduculous media circus ever. Only in Britain, so demented by the forces of tabloid news, could this happen. And the fact the 大象传媒 is playing along with it proves just how far the dumbing down of Blighty has gone. Shame on all concerned.

I understand the parents' motive: the more attention their case gets, the bigger the chance of finding a lead, of finding Maddy, and -hopefully- bring her back home alive.

But involving the rich and famous (on and on and on..) is turning this whole case into a preposterous (money making) media circus and absurd soap opera. It's losing all it's initial integrity and makes me switch channels and think of all the other missing persons on this planet...

There is an uneasy feeling within me about the whole case but i'm not sure why. That said I don't know what the dissenting voices expect the parents to do. The McCanns have to carry on, they can't be bothered about all the other missing children who do not receive this level of exposure. They just want their girl back asap are prepared to do whatever it takes now. Nor can they beat themselves up at this time and blame themselves. It happened and feeling guilty about how it happened is not going to bring Madeleine back. So I don't get what point those who raise the circumstance of her disappearance are trying to make. All I know is if it was my little girl I would it to be the lead story on every news bulletin until she was found.

It's difficult isn't it?
Charles Elliott wrote a book once called 'Comfortable Compassion?' about the massive response to Live aid and all that went with it.
The massive hype about little Madeline may seem over the top, but if it was my daughter, I would want every scrap of help I could mobilise.
Ie leaves the question hanging, what about all the other lost children?

I feel for them, and if i were a parent no doubt i would do everything i could think of to help find my child, however media saturation to this level can have a negative effect, people start switching off whether they want to or not when they see this everyday, going to see the pope is not a genuine development in the story,many media outlets these days seem to have lost sight of what to focus on in a story and i don't think this daily banal 'mcannes walk on a beach'bombardment is helping the family atall.An unnamed policeman also commenetd a couple of weeks ago that the media frenzy could even make the people responsible panic if Maddy was still alive.Why have none of the media looked at the wider story? the amount of children that are abducted each year? human trafficking?

If the Mcanns had acted as responsible parents and NOT let 3 small children unsupervised in a hotel room, this media hysteria would never have taken place. I pity the children

Unfortunate as the little girl's disappearance is, I think it is wrong for the media to go on and on about it. There are far more important things happening in the world which should be reported on. What about all the little children being killed in Iraq? Why doesn't the media highlight their plight in such detail every day? Or the children dying of starvation in Africa? Are their lives not worth as much as Maddy's? Its symptomatic of the age in which we live that a single story like this can by hyped up so much you think nothing else matters. Very sad.

I don't see the point of keeping the Madeleine story alive and kicking in the UK when she is either in Portugal or Spain. Whoever took her is not in Britain and all these appeals will not make the slightest difference to the sort of person who abducts a child. The Media and Politicians should concentrate on more pressing issues and let the Portugese police get on with their investigations.

While feeling desperately sorry for the McCanns and very worried aboout Maddie, cannot but feel all this publicity may be counter productive.

It just may make the person(s) who abducted her, so panicky that they ...say, kill the child.
With the unique right eye it would be very difficult to disguise her.
I sincerly hope not but it is also extraordinary that not s ingle clue to her whereabouts has has appeared.

I guess every parent sympathises with the McCanns, and all of us would do it if we had too. I just hope the twins don't suffer whilst this is going on.

I can well understand the plight of their missing daughter and the distress that the McCanns are undergoing. Were I in their position I am sure I would suffer the same.

I would have thought that by now the media would have taken this opportunity to highlight the plight of millions of children and their parents who perish each year many in truly horific circumstances that no one ever gets to know about.

I would hope that the conclusion is a happy one for the McCanns and that when they reach a point in all this that they are able to reflect, that they may lend their energies to the plight of the rest of the child victims globally.

As a non-parent obviously I couldn't being to feel what the McCann's would be going though right now! What does concern me, however grave Madelene's abduction is, in future it seems likely another set of parents will encounter the same position with a child.... How will they feel if their plight doesn't receive an equal amount of publicity to raise public awareness and hope that their child would also be found....

That doesn't distract me from the sympathy I feel for the McCann's plight.....

Philip Lowe

Were I ever plunged into McCanns' nightmare, god forbid, I would do everything in my power to mobilise the world's media to recover my daughter. I would take little notice of how naysayers judged, conceptualised or pontificated about my actions. I would look for any and every opportunity to publicise the cause. I respect the McCanns for their dedication.

Had I not a daughter about Madeleines age I probably would have said "there is too much coverage" However as a parent of a beautiful 3 year old I think there is never enough coverage.

The way the parents are behaving is subjectively rational and understandable. The way the tabloid press is behaving is.....as they always behave. A young, blonde, beautiful, little girl has disappeared: 鈥渆very parent鈥檚 nightmare鈥� headlines appear. After weeks articulate, attractive, middle class, educated and co-operative parents, understandably seek to maintain their daughters story and image in the headlines however they can. This is a marriage made in circulation heaven... but, as is often the case where tabloids are involved, slightly distasteful. It is based on what interests people not what is in the peoples interest. They know what they are doing and as long as it sells newspapers it will continue. I would not criticise the parents and criticism of tabloids is without meaning - unless with a large financial cost to their owners.

However; after weeks of, less than insightful, reporting, the behaviour of the serious press and TV, including Newsnight, is worthy of serious debate by their editorial staff. For weeks they have continued to treat as hard news what are 鈥淧eoples Princess鈥� storylines. Nothing factual to report, report the rumours, no new rumours repeat the last rumours. Set out the parents travel plans photograph their movements report the latest bandwagon jumpers. Ribbons for MPs, telephone calls from future PMs. News 24 has been a major embarrassment to the editorial direction of the 大象传媒. Rather like a question in parliament, can one ask 鈥淗ow many 大象传媒 journalists have been sent to Portugal to cover the issue?鈥� and 鈥淗ow many 大象传媒 journalists are currently assigned to cover disappearances of children aged under 15 who have disappeared in the same period?鈥� 鈥淗ow many journalists are covering the ongoing murder hunts for children killed in the same period?鈥� 鈥� How much air time has been allocated to the dozens (?) who have been involved in the UK as opposed to the one in Portugal?鈥�

Do the priorities of senior managers at the 大象传媒 reflect their Reithian inheritance? I accept that news night has reported the questioning of the nature of the reporting ... as part of the focus on the story by the 大象传媒.

It's heartbreaking to see the Parent's grief. I cannot imagine what it is like for them. This abduction however must not slip back into the middle pages and beyond.

Criminals who indulge in this type of crime are generally Psycopaths and they actually do not care what they are putting people through, being wired up differently from the rest of us, they have no emotional empathy. It is thus useless appealing to them via Celebrities etc.

The Parents and the Press are behaving correctly and have absolutely no alternative.

All Police forces should prioritize and co-operate. The ultimate answer will come from them and their efforts.

I do sympathize with the McCanns family as per their missing daughter hence i share the same opinion with the rest of the world that this issue deserves all the attenton it has received this whilst.
Also, i believe the press are doing a good job and very soon the missing child will be find more so the priest of the living God; the Pope himself is now involved and all notable personalties.

Shocking coverage, over kill in the extreme

we all hope the little girl turns up safe and well,but what on earth is the pope and beckham going to do,???join in the hunt,and another thing who is paying their expences,hotel and travel to and from rome,,,,,the top and bottom is this would NEVER have happened if they had not left the child alone.
steveee

I can sort of understand why they are doing it, I'm sure any parent in their situation would be doing all they could to get their child back if it happened to them. However, I think it is getting to much now, golfers wearing yellow ribbons, videos being shown in stadiums etc etc The number of children dying world wide is just a shocking figure and to place greater importance on Madiline is just too disproportionate. It also amplifies fear throughout society about kidnappins, the risks are infintisimal in reality.

We all know why celebrities and politicians attach themselves to these causes; self interest, and this will often attract the media.

However, I cannot fault the McCanns for taking advantage of it, who wouldn't? It is often said that people treat TV actors as if they know them personally, therefore one can assume the publicity will help to locate Madeline if she is moved in public.

As to her being left alone - People have such short memories. What about the little girl who was abducted from a bath in her home and sexually assaulted? The McCanns did not leave their children unattended for a day, but an hour, no different than putting your kids to bed for the night. Therefore, enough with 'they left her alone' I defy any parent to say they check on their child in bed every hour no matter what!

We need to make life difficult for kidnappers. Also agree with post #42 about a global network - far too many families have to endure this hell.

In my view, the continued blanket coverage could be jeopardising the chances of Maddy being found alive. My fear is that the abductors might kill her and dispose of her body to minimise their risk of being caught.

It must be more important for them to see Him and touch Him than anything else. Let's forget about carbon emission. I am sorry.

I admit to a certain unease regarding the coverage.

The McCann's made a dreadful and tragic decision to leave their children alone, and I'm sure they castigate themselves about this every second.

Their subsequent actions, however, are entirely understandable and rational. Any parent would do the same.

They have applied their intellect to garner support and sympathy. I applaud them for it.

However, there are several unsavory aspects. Politicians and businessmen have been falling over themselves in a bid to capture the reflected light - The Cardinal Murphy O'Connor also guilty in this respect. It reminds me of the mass hysteria that engulfed this nation following Princess Diana's death.

There is also a hidden jealousy in the comments above: I find Britons to be allergic to intellect - they worship mediocrity. These people will find any reason to bring the intelligent down.

I also believe caste, creed and race had a lot to do with the extensive coverage. As an Indian living in Britain, I would like to think the people of this nation would support me as they have the McCann's if it were my child. Somehow, I very much doubt it.

I feel very uneasy about the coverage that this childs abduction is getting in the press , what must the families of other missing children be feeling when they see the McCanns being treated this way , after all this situation is of their own doing , I have two children and would never leave them alone while I went to a restaurant like they did , and apparently it was nt on one night it was every night while they were on holiday ,no matter how close the restaurant was .The Catholic church should not be seen to be treating them any differently , I believe the Pope was ill advised . It may well be that all this coverage may actually make it harder for the person or persons holding Madeline to return her . The McCanns may end up allienating the very people they want on their side .

Yes, I do think the media should continue to cover this story but I also believe that names of other missing children - with photos where possible - should be included in all these reports.

I wish that little Maddy will soon be returned safely to her family.

God Bless and keep all children safe.

While I agree that it is important - as in very important - to keep Madeleine's abduction in the forefront, the focus has shifted and that is unfortunate because it detracts from the search for the child. Currently it appears that a lot of noteworthy and important personages are stepping on the bandwagon, so as to say, and instead of focusing on Madeleine are focusing on the grief of the parents. While her parents are certainly overwhelmed with grief, to play up their grief as opposed to the little one's abduction shifts the focus away. And that can only hurt.

Honestly - I REALLy hate to say it but fear that their chances of having her returned to them lessen daily. And with the focus being on the parents and most definitely on important personages, those chances lessen even more dramatically.

God willing (and I'm praying here) Madeleine will be found and returned live and healthy. And soon!

The question to ask is "what would you do in similiar circumstances"?

Was it not the case that the Pope himself offered to see the McCann's if they wished - because they had been clearly seen as strong Catholics and taking strength from their faith? They then intimated that they would indeed wish to have an audience with him - would not anyone else have done the same? I think it is awful how they are being criticised for that.

I agree that there has been unprecedented publicity around this case - but a child stolen from her bed is very rare - most are abducted from the street - so I can understand why everyone has found this so dreadful - none of us can imagine that this could happen.

I have become painfully aware of the number of lost children during these last terrible four weeks - and I am certainly very angry that they too dont seem to get similar publicity - surely they all deserve the same in future - times have changed, modern technology enables news to travel across the world in seconds - more must be made of this for other children in future.

Let us hope, even after 28 days, that Maddie is found and returned to her parents - and redoubled efforts are made to identify these perverts who steal children in this way - that they are locked up and the keys thrown away.

I still hope and pray for a miracle for the McCann's.

I think that the McCanns are doing the right thing to use every conceivable means to keep their daughter's abduction on the spotlight in order to find her. I find their whole attitude inspiring in that they don't give up. The fact that there are countless cases like this around the world does not mean that they should resign from their efforts. Moreover it was the public interest that also made the media give so much coverage.We all pray and will be immensly releived for Madeleine to return to her parents.

What did the Pope do?

If the parents are 'educated and well connected', perhaps they should be directing their resources, energies and connections in a more private, concentrated and direct manner and stay focused on the child.

What the parents are going through is heart rendering and devastatingingly unfortunate and all so very public and perhaps, thus far, not at all constructive or effective

For the child herself, as with all abducted children, words fail me as to their plight. All who sympathize are left with a with a sense of helplessness, as well as horror, at the tragedy and loathing and disgust at an element of society that continually perpetrates these crimes against innocent little children.

God will be with this little child and the many others. Society ought to look at itself long and hard in a mirror.

Unless the media is prepared to extend the same coverage to all missing children, it should stop, now. As for 'celebrities' and politicians and religious leaders getting involved, the same applies.

I truly hope Madeleine is returned safe and well, but the coverage of this one case is and has been for a long time way over the top.

I'm sure if one of my children had disappeared over the past few weeks - or even longer ago - I'd be feeling a lot of anger that my child was not worth as much attention as Madeleine apparently is.

It's time it stopped and that the McCanns realise that flogging the media publicity machine in the name of getting their daughter back is not going to assuage their guilt in leaving her alone like that one iota.

I have read all of the above comments and agree with many points,my family and me are quite frankly sick of seeing the McCanns on the tv trying to divert the blame from themselves ,they left their child alone (then gave the nanny the night off!!)take responsibility for your actions and look after your two children left without their parents in a foreign country.

Yes, the media should continue to cover this story and at the same time include the names and photos of other missing children with each and every report. Such coverage could well result in grown up missing children being reunited with their families also.

There is no harm in Gordon Brown or the Pope taking an interest in the plight of these poor parents. They are already in pain and do not need to be blamed any further for leaving the children unattended in a locked room!

God Bless and keep Maddy and all other abducted children safe and bring them all home again.

While I sympethize with the McCanns and I understand they want to keep the story in the spotlight, I think the blatant media hogging they are doing is damaging their credibility.

Seriously, what is meeting the Pope and David Beckham going to do for their cause? And what of being given the use of a multi-million pound private jet to aid their 'search'?? If they wheren't shamelessly taking advantage of this situation they would be spending every waking moment in Portugal searching for their daughter, not hobnobbing with celebrities!

Additionally, it's been 4 weeks now... I strongly believe that if they find anything at all of poor little Maddy, they will not like what they find.

I fail to see how anything other than publicity flooding the region where witnesses are likely to need a memory jogging is of any practical help whatsoever.

Half an hour of news about the Pope 'praying' for a happy ending - for example - is indulgent waffle aimed to ensure we can all wallow is the sentimentality of it all.

I'm not criticising the parents - you do what you can - it's the good old British Public I worry about.

I think the coverage and involvement of prominent figures is appropriate - it's been a constant reminder for lots of parents (like me) who have left or would have thought of leaving their kids alone on such resorts where listening services and suchlike are commonplace.

All talk of the McCanns being at fault is misplaced. They are the (tragically) unlucky ones and we are the fortunate majority who now have learned from their misfortune.

The coverage has potentially prevented many other kids from being taken. With time the McCann's story will fade away but parents will forever have a reminder in the back of their heads never to leave their kids alone.

Firstly, I sincerely hope the girl is alive and well and that eventually it will all end happily. I have to say that, had this been a youngster from a poorer area of the Uk, would there have been as much interest in it? Would others from a poorer background have had the common sense and savvy not to leave their little kid lying in bed unattended in a foreign land? As a father I would never, ever have considered this course of action. The girl's parents are educated, atriculate and appear to have the ability, or at least have someone acting for them, to obtain worldwide assistance including a meeting with the Pope. How does one arrange that? One doesn't just call the Vatican and speak to a secretary to arrange an appointment.
In any case I wish the family well and I sincerely hope the matter ends soon and that their little girl is returned safe and well.

I genuinely feel sorry for the McCanns, having lost their beautiful blonde daughter. However, like a lot of people, I do wonder how two intelligent, professional parents could leave their children unsupervised at night in a ground floor apartment with the window apparently unlocked. Having owned a ground floor flat myself in the past (and experiencing 4 terrifying attempted break-ins) I know just how unsafe the ground floor can be. Even if no one had entered the McCann children鈥檚 room, what was to stop one of the children climbing out of that room and going for a wander? Children have enquiring minds and if they wake at night they want to know where the grown ups are. Also, was a baby listening device not available to the McCanns? Often Mark Warner resorts can provide these. Even if these questions can be answered it is too late now. I am certain that other parents are learning from the McCann鈥檚 mistakes by becoming more security conscious.

Without doubt the media has given the story prominence because the McCann family are photogenic, professional and interesting which has engaged the reader. My understanding is that Mrs McCann worked her way up in the medical world from working class Liverpool roots. This, combined with her striking blonde looks, makes her perfect tabloid fodder and has kept the story in the papers. The intervention of celebrities is touching, but in my opinion has gone too far. Was it really necessary to fly to see the pope on Sir Philip Green鈥檚 private plane? This is supposed to be about finding their daughter 鈥� not indulgent gestures.

Although this excess amount of publicity has ensured Madeleine is imprinted on everyone鈥檚 memory, might it be the case that the abductor may have been frightened by the amount of attention this story has received? The extensive publicity could have panicked him 鈥� which in turn could have impacted Madeleine鈥檚 welfare. I really hope this is not the case and that the story has a happy ending.

I, too, am beginning to feel very uneasy about the high-powered campaign, not because I do not understand the McCanns' wish to do all they can to
find their daughter but because whoever took Madeleine would receive such widespread condemnation and become a real hate figure, that they could be deterred from giving her back even if they had felt inclined to do so.

I feel that for a few short years, while children are very young, parents must adjust their lifestyle. The McCanns are not irresponsible parents, but they left their children not only out of sight but out of earshot. It was a terrible mistake and one which will haunt them for the rest of their lives, but what of poor little Madeleine, the innocent victim? What affect will it have on her if, as we all hope, she is eventually found alive? That is the greatest worry.

I thimk it only natural that the parents have and will continue to do everything in their power to find their daughter. The role of the media is a differnt thing though, I feel the coverage is disproportionate considering how many people including children go missing every year. Surely the media are co-operating with the McCanns not the other way round?

I fail to see how anything other than publicity flooding the region where witnesses are likely to need a memory jogging is of any practical help whatsoever.

Half an hour of news about the Pope 'praying' for a happy ending - for example - is indulgent waffle aimed to ensure we can all wallow is the sentimentality of it all.

I'm not criticising the parents - you do what you can - it's the good old British Public I worry about.

The McCann family have to do what's right for them. No one can really make any judgements - we are not in their situation.

Personally I do feel slightly uncomfortable with the persistent media coverage; it also seems so contradictory with other news in the same bulletins or on the same newspaper page.

What about all the other children and adults who go missing? What about all the unsolved murders where the victims' families don't know the truth? What about all the UK families who have lost a father, brother or husband in Iraq? There's hundreds of thousands of pounds being contributed to politicians for their campaigns yet there is the tragedy of Darfur unfolding while no one does anything.

It's a topsy-turvy world where common sense seems to have gone out the window. Where's the perspective in all this?

And the McCanns are probably asking themselves the same question?

Why? Who knows the answer.....

I firstly would like to say how soory i feel for the little girl,where is she ,what is happening to her?The power of the media could help so much,but all we have is live reports from portugal with self serving indulgence from reporters not reallt interested in the dissapearence but in how they look on screen. Let's use the media properly to find this little girl,as for the McCann family strange thing to go abroad and leave the children alone again!!let's get them of the tv and use the media properly

I doubt if anyone is qualified to comment on anything the McCann's see fit to do unless they have been in the same position themselves.

I agree with Rebecca's comments (posted at 1.45). They should never have left their children especially given the fact that they are highly educated people (I'm sure GP's should know better than to leave their children alone!!) and given the fact that they travelled as a group they could easily have taken turns to look after the kids whilst the other adults went for dinner. Everyone should remember about the other kids that go missing that may not be as angelic looking as Madeline but just as loved by their families.

Is any publicity appropriate, yes, otherwise the disappearance of Madeleine would just become, like so many before her, another statistic. Maybe the unease that some people are feeling about the publicity is more a case of frustration that there is no going forward and seems to be going around in a circle. One good lead will make all the publicity worthwhile! Criticising the parents is nasty and useless. Focus attention on their sadness and their hope of recovering the daughter they both love.

A public international missing persons web site should be available for all to check just in case we spot some other missing child or adult.

I don't know the details of the case but it is quite obvious that this is atracting very very much media attention.
For the parents of the missing child this looks good and I truly hope it helps their cause. On the other hand there are children missing daily the world over and hardly anyone cares. On the contrary.
It seems that for some media this child is a good way to sell their paper and look good like a magazine 'that cares about people'. The owners then can use it as an excuse for the rubbish they normally print.
For some people like the Pope it is good publicity for THEIR cause. Again loking as someone 'who cares about people'.
So it lookes like this case is being used by a lot of hypocrites to clean up their record and for some to make profits.

I think it's unfair to criticize the parents who are in a living hell that won't be relieved until they are re-united with their child. If this level of publicity makes the public aware of the situation, the chances of bringing her captor(s) to justice are increased.

Madaline's disappearance is a very sad ocurrance . What is to be the outcome is within the power of the Lord.no matter how much she is either captivity or has been fatally attacked.
I think that it is time to stop publicity by the media and any notable persons and let the authorities concerned find the hopefull conclusion to this matter

Whilst I have the greatest sympathy for the parents and their little girl I do wonder if they are actually endangering her life with all the publicity. If the perpetrator of this crime has gone to ground with their daughter and is too scared to take her from whatever hiding place he or she is holding her is there a risk that he/she may decide to dispose of the evidence to avoid linking him/her to the crime.

He/she may be too scared to consider hamding her in to the police and may feel that there would be little chance of a fair trial because of all the publicity.

I worked with sex offenders and murderers etc, and know how they think.
As a father of two daughters I shudder to think what the poor little girl may be suffering. Good luck to the NcCanns, but please consider whether the publicity is doing the right thing.

I don't think anyone has the right to criticise the family unless they have been in the same situation themselves. God only knows how I would have reacted had any of my children been abducted. I do know that, if my child had gone missing in Portugal I wouldn't have left the country at all until the child was found. The Pope wouldn't be a priority for me. I cannot understand what all that Vatican bit was about, Benedict could have said some prayers without the visit.

The media trades in human misery, masquerading such coverage as "human interest" so, if criticism is appropriate, then focus it on the media not on a family struggling with a terrible situation.

The McCann family are desparate, therefore using figures like Gordon Brown, David Beckham etc is the right move because take for example David Beckham is known by almost three quarters of the entre wolrd population. Therefore using him will attract attention to almost all people who know Beckham. If Madelene happened to seen any where people will inform the relevent people. So i say yes there is nothing wrong in using such figures to spread the news of the missing Madelene.

Is any publicity appropriate, yes, otherwise the disappearance of Madeleine would just become, like so many before her, another statistic. Maybe the unease that some people are feeling about the publicity is more a case of frustration that there is no going forward and seems to be going around in a circle. One good lead will make all the publicity worthwhile! Criticising the parents is nasty and useless. Focus attention on their sadness and their hope of recovering the daughter they both love.

A public international missing persons web site should be available for all to check just in case we spot some other missing child or adult.

One can hardly imagine what the McCann's are going through. They must be devastated not just by the loss but also the guilt and indeed the shame they must be feeling. We have here two professional people and experienced ones at that who should have realised that no way was it suitable to leave three small children alone. The risk of abduction is not the only hazard which young children face who are left unattended. When you have children your life style has to change, you can't have your cake and eat it, you have to organise your life to fit around the needs of your children.This aspect of the case is being largely ignored especially by the media, none of them have been brave enough to raise the issue in the face of the wave sentimentality which exists, yet it needs airing for fear that this sort of behaviour becomes thought to be acceptable.
This orchestrated media campaign, yes one hopes it might help to find Madeleine, but feels at times to be an arogant attempt by the parents to deny their part in the tragedy.
I spent the whole of my working life as a Social Worker responsible for implementing the law in relation to the care of children and in a case where young children were being left unattended I would have made it my duty to look into the situation. Presumably Leicestershire Social Services Department will do so in due course, in the hope of preventing any further tragedy in this unfortunate family. I really do feel for them but the issue does have to be addressed.

The McCanns may be maximising the campaign to find their daughter because, as parents, they desperately wish to find her. It may also be a way to deal with personal feelings of guilt (even if they do not realise that). I have a worry that by making Maddie so recognisable, they have made her "too hot to handle" and reduced the chance of finding her alive.

Is any publicity appropriate, yes, otherwise the disappearance of Madeleine would just become, like so many before her, another statistic. Maybe the unease that some people are feeling about the publicity is more a case of frustration that there is no going forward and seems to be going around in a circle. One good lead will make all the publicity worthwhile! Criticising the parents is nasty and useless. Focus attention on their sadness and their hope of recovering the daughter they both love.

A public international missing persons web site should be available for all to check just in case we spot some other missing child or adult.

I work as a journalist on a photography magazine. It seems that it's not just the media who are seen to be over-egging the situation. The unease over coverage extends to accusations from some of our readers that a well known chain of camera shops is exploiting the attention by allowing its customers free digital conversion of any photographs taken in the area Madeleine disappeared - prior to uploading on the official website set up to help find her.
Chris Cheesman, London

steve in post 108 raises an interesting possibility: Have the McCanns hired a PR firm to help attract publicity for their daughter's plight? It's hard to imagine how the Pope got involved otherwise. (And why exactly did they want to involve him?!)

Naturally, every parent and compassionate person will sympathise with the McCann family. Nevertheless, could one argue that the media coverage and this high profile celebrity involvement is without perspective? If the McCann's were a working class family who had left their child would our sympathy be so profound? Also, thousands of children go missing every year, what identifies the McCann's as special? Of course none of these musings will make a difference to the McCann's who should and invariably will do everything in their power to ensure the safety of their little girl. And so they should.

I believe it's appropreate that when a child goes missing we make every effort and by all means to find that child back.

However, the question shouldn't be whether the media is going overboard in their coverage but, are they doing enough?

The media, as well as the Pope,Mr. Bechham and Mr. Brown, should be giving added coverage and attention to more of the missing children in this world as well as to other sensitive childrens issues, such as abuse, child labor, soldiering, and the like. They should be doing this on a regular basis.

To all the people who are complaining about having to watch the "media circus/frenzy" about Madeleine, just shut up and switch channels if you are so bereft of compassion that you cannot see this is their best, maybe only hope of having their child returned to them. How can you POSSIBLY question their motives for wanting to keep her in the public eye in any way possible and to accept help from any quarter??? It beggars belief, really and I am ashamed to share an island with some of you people.
By the way, I read one quote where the family said they would love nothing more than to hand over their fighting fund for other missing child cases because it would mean their daughter had been found. Of course they don't think they are better than any other frantic parents in the same position, but what do you expect them to do? Turn away the help?
Finally, I find it really insulting that some of you assume I would feel or react any differently if this were a single mother who had lost her child. Who cares who or what the McCanns are? It is irrelevant and all that matters is the safe return of their (yes, beautiful but again irrelevant) daughter.

The McCann鈥檚 may well be suffering now but I bet poor little Maddy has suffered 1000 times more than them. It is Maddy we care about. Her parents are to blame for all the pain and fear this poor little girl has gone through because they left their children alone. They act sad one minute for the press calls and then we see them in the weekend papers with huge smiles from ear to ear as they do the happy family photo shoot for the papers, what accomplished actors they are. I think the parents have yet again put Maddy in danger by all this media publicity. Surely it has made Maddy too hot to handle because we all know now that she has that special eye. Whoever took her can change her hair and make her look like a boy for the time being but no one can take that eye away from her, it鈥檚 there for life, how ever long that is!

As a parent I feel quite distress about little Madeleine and pray that she will soon be found safe and well. However I would like to know who are the people behind this campaign.
I think that there is more to the disappearance of this little girl. There are hundreds of children going missing every all over the worldwide yet most people don't give it a second thought I just think that there is something peculiar when the parents are having so much success in having world leader support finally I and most parents would not have left three children on their own.

One can not possibly blame the parents they would do anything to get their little girl back, they are however manipulated by the press, since obviously the story sells papers, but the exposure they are getting puts the parents into danger of a public back clash, other parents who have also lost childern in this way will be sick seeing the publicity,a giant screen at the Cup final,street posters, press photos, TV exposure, etc ..
even his solo return to the Uk was covered like that of a returning hero,

In response to Ferdie, 'Does anyone still care about this'

162 million people across the world logging into the website care.

It is when we stop caring about the abduction of an innocent -- whatever colour, creed, class -- that it is time to start worrying.

As for media-furore ... if it communicates clearly that abduction and abuse is unnacceptable and highlights how furiously we can cooperate to a common goal ... then it is worth a few people getting bored.

I believe that the more coverage the better someone some where knows what as happened to this little girl however the places that need the publicity are from where she was abducted perhaps interpol should be on the case. There was a time that you could leave anybody in the house and not have to worry not it is not the same as it was fifty or sixty years ago

I don't know how they show there faces going out till three o'clock in the mornig and leaving there children alone.the police should have locked them up.WHen they arrive back in Britain the police shoud arrest them as soon as they get off the plain.If you can not look after your children you should not have them.I am a father if we could not take the childen with us to a dinner etc. We either got a baby sitter or we did not go out.full stop.

According to the McCann's 'official website', the Find Madeline fund now stands at well over 370 grand...

I hope they enjoy every penny knowing that they had to lose their daughter for it. Shocking, disgusting and downright wrong.

I have read all the comments posted so far and they largely reflect what I hear people saying as I go out and about. However, only Sharmian (Message 99) remarks on a point which struck me from the very beginning. Something doesn't quite 'feel' right about the whole affair. I have a feeling that there's a whole 'can of worms' out there somewhere, waiting to be opened.

I don't know how they show there faces going out till three o'clock in the mornig and leaving there children alone.the police should have locked them up.WHen they arrive back in Britain the police shoud arrest them as soon as they get off the plain.If you can not look after your children you should not have them.I am a father if we could not take the childen with us to a dinner etc. We either got a baby sitter or we did not go out.full stop.

Brown, as the new P.M. should never have allowed himself to get involved in this unless he is prepared to do so for every missing British child, he has no connection to the MaCanns other than being a fellow scot, but knowing Brown he likes to improve is dour public immage in readiness for an early general election he will call in a years time, the same applies to Beck's but he is a stupid fellow and we forgive him, the pope was also ill advised to see them, unless he does so for all the parents of missing
childern, no doubt the pope
could not resist the publicity this case gave the Vatican, in the meantime the McCann's are staying (sleeping) at the Residence of our Ambassador
in Rome no less, will they ever return to the UK and resume their work at the NHS, I don't think so, when the child is eventually returned to them they will play and enjoy the roll of roving ambassadors for abducted childern, travelling the globe, and this will even more so apply should the child not be found, the money will continue to flow in, and having got a taste of their new live now, they will never let go, and will insist on being perpetual roving ambassadors for missing childern.

Well, here in the United States there has been talk of the parent's neglect of these children by leaving them alone quite a ways away from them so they could party. I think here there would be moves to charge them with neglect or child endangerment.If they had enough money to go to such a resort, and then pass up the chance to have a babysitter at only $10 per hour, then they should be charged with neglect or reckless endangerment and prosecuted. I think that it seems to be a big public relations stunt for them to go to the Pope and ask his blessing in front of TV cameras. Too little, too late, folks. And now they are going all over Europe too?? I think this is to garner sympathy and absolve them from guilt but it won't work in my opinion. Their 2 remaining children should be under the supervision of child and family services to assure they are getting the attention and safety measures by these 2 selfish self- absorbed physicians!!! Sorry, that is my view from a health care professional. We have to report child abuse here in the USA and this sure seems like a case of it.

The case of this missing child, in my opinion, is the Missing White Woman Syndrome or the Missing Pretty Girl Syndrome

I would just like to comment on Jon's observations (Message 130) regarding the 大象传媒 coverage of the story from the Algarve end. With a 24-hour news service, and 2 locations to cover, there obviously has to be a rota system, which means at least 4 journalists. For my money, Jane Hall, who has been there from Day 1, has stood out head and shoulders above the rest with her restrained yet sensitive reporting; but why on earth it was thought necessary to ship Huw Edwards out there for one "6 o'clock News" is beyond comprehension.

Whilst I understand what they are doing, and their thinking behind maintaining this very public image, I am very uneasy with the campaign and can't help but feel terrible for the parents of other children who are missing and haven't had this level of support. I would like to see some of the funds rasied shared between other families of parents with missing children so that they too can stop working and look for their children.

I also can't help but wonder, whether the media & celebratory backers would be as eager to help if Madeline wasn't so beautiful and her parents white educated middle class. WOuld the media be as helpful if this wasn't the case?

Clearly, the McCanns' dedication in pursuing every avenue of publicity possible is what most parents would seek at such a distressing time. However, without wishing to be sententious, I do have serious reservations about the way in which they left 3 little children alone, now matter how often they 'checked'. The fact is that they were not there. For all we know, perhaps one of the babes was crying or Madeleine herself did not feel very well, and actually left the holiday home to look for 'Mummy and Daddy', and was snatched then. Whatever happened, one's heart goes out to them, but is tempered by a certain caveat that it is simply inappropriate to leave three little children alone even if one is twenty yards away with the entrance in full view. Why they couldn't get a babysitter or have a walkie talkie so that they could at least hear what was going on, is completely beyond me. If neither of these options was acceptable to them, they should have either stayed at home or taken the children with them. Thus, however sympathetic one might feel for their plight and unwilling to subject them to an excoriating kind of critique in their hours, days and weeks of need,one cannot help feeling that this situation could and perhaps should have been avoided. Nonetheless, of course, fear for this poor little girl justifies maximum publicity although personally,I wish that every missing child received the same attention, and it makes me wonder how much the McCann's social 'status' has to do with the extraordinary coverage given.

I cant think of what this poor girl must be going through if she is still alive and I can't fault the parents for their efforts in trying to get her returned safely.

However it's up to the media to decide how much coverage a story gets. Every story eventually runs its course and I fear if she's not found soon the media bandwagon will leave town en masse leaving the McCanns isolated.

While I have every sympathy with these parents and fully understand their effort to keep the case in the public domain. I am sure I would do the same in their shoes. However the publicity, in my mind is now going right over the top. While their plight is tragic it is no more so than the children who are killed or kidnapped in Irag and other areas of conflict. All the children suffering from malnutrition or downright starvation. Would David Beckham, the Pope, Gordon Brown and all the other celebrities please turn their attention to these in the same high profile way. I was in church the other day and in the prayers they prayed for Madeleine but no word for the other suffering children or parents

if it helps others then yes continue , but it does seem that they are getting far more than there share of publicity..after all it was their fault

I think it's now time to slow the coverage on this story. The attempts to cover it in the news are now desperate. The simple fact is there is NO news on this story and as a viewer and reader of the media I think it's appauling that this story is still featured so much. We're now at the stage where no one wants to make the decision to cut down on the coverage because it could be deemed as being unsympathetic or insenstive. A decision is going to have to be made soon, let's do it now and give this story the coverage it deserves - little.

I am a parent and I share in the parents feelings. I want them not to loose hope, I believe she would be seen. The government and media are doing well. We should pray along with well meaning other people.

This case has recieved far too much coverage. I would really rather mainstream media stopped whoring over this one incident and got on with reporting some real news instead.

Whilst I join everyone else is wishing a safe return for the girl, I dread to think how many 大象传媒 reporters will be jetting off to Portugal when she is.

Looking at this blog, it seems to me the main difference between posts is the people who care... full stop, and the people who care BUT ALSO care about OTHER things in the world, like, um, World Missing Children's Day last week..(!), the fact that half the world 鈥� nearly three billion people 鈥� live on less than two dollars a day, the fact that the lives of 1.7 million children will be needlessly lost this year because world governments have failed to reduce poverty levels

This quote says it all: "The charity said that since Madeleine's abduction on 3 May there had been 1,200 reports of missing young people."

If we ever fail to feel for even just one life, then we must question our humanity, but.... SERIOUSLY.... is the focus on one little girl healthy...???

Is it rational?
Fair?
Balanced?

No. None of these things.

Frankly, as a young man not yet married, it strikes me as actually rather creepy.

At least it has brought attention to the fate of others, but, frankly, if you asked me who do I care about more, Madeleine or the thousands of nameless faceless other missing people, I would say, absolutely the others. I fear almost everybody else in the country would say "Madeleine", "Madeleine"...!

I understand why, but I find this perverse form of celebrity unconstructive, unbalanced and frankly bordering on disturbing.

Matt, Lancaster

It is very difficult to strike a balance between publicising this situation in order to keep it fresh in people's mind's and being a bit 'over the top'. Whilst I have every sympathy with the family and I fully understand the reasons for the publicity, I now think that the Police investigation is being hindered rather than helped by the intense media scrutiny. I have been embarassed by the way in which the British Newspapers Journalists have behaved towards the police in Portugal whilst covering the story for there papers, the police should have been alound to do there job with out any interference.

Matt.

I feel for the parents but struggle with why this child is different to any of the other 77k children that go missing every year.

I would be interested to hear from the parents of other children who have gone missing as to what they feel about the lack of coverage they receive by comparison.

Congrats to the parents/family for harnessing the power of the media though. I wouldn't be surprised to see a backlash or general apathy akin to the tsunami fundrasing etc. though.

Having read the comments I am astounded that some people can even consider the idea of punishing these people for neglect - they have been punished far worse than any legal system can, and will be punished for the rest of their lives for making the mistake of leaving their children.

I can sympathise with the McCanns for keeping the child in the public eye, it makes me weep to think of what that poor thing must have experienced or be experiencing, but equally any child who is abducted should also have equal press coverage, but this only comes with the parents pushing for it.

Not sure I agree that if it was a child from a Council Estate rather than middle class white parents the press would have lost interest by now. What of Sarah Payne - she was "news" for ages with her parents pushing for changes in the law. I think it depends on the strength of the parents to keep it together to campaign so strongly.

Issues like this should have high profile, though I fear for the child's safety.

I agree with Simon D (message 13). The whole affair has been turned into a tabloid frenzy-if Madeleine had been from a black, lower class immigrant family, for example,the tabloids would demand that they be 'locked-up' for child neglect!!!

As for the comment regarding Kate Mc Cann's bare head when meeting the Pope, how trivial is that? Does it really matter what she wears on her head-I would think that was the last thing she thought about!!!

The 大象传媒 has been very measured in highlighting the plight of Alan
Johnson-bears no comparison with the Mc Cann 'media frenzy'.

Jen R., I'm sure this possibility that undue publicity could result in panic-induced murder is one that the McCanns have borne in mind in their terrifying decisions as to a best course of action.

They have presumably had to weigh it against the possibility that massive publicity may stall easy exchange of this child for money .....if indeed that should be the objective of the abductor. Those in this criminal market just might hesitate about involvement in such a high-profile case. So, it's a valid line of thought and they've decided to go full pelt with it.

Thank heaven they are too tied up with it all to have time to see some of the repellent, judgmental postings here.

June B.

If the Police Investigation team which are responsible for the case are confident that the publicity and continued media coverage is beneficial (or more importantly, not detrimental) to their investigation, then I feel it is entirely the business of the McCanns themselves.
If their actions are hindering the actions of the police (historically, the misguided actions of many parents in similar situations have later proven to have done so), then I feel the McCanns should be better advised to reduce their profile - they are, after all, educated people who will no doubt listen to the experts when it comes to maximising the chances of finding Maddie alive, safe and well.

How can people suggest that the McCanns should be punished for neglecting their children? They have been punished by events which far outstrip the law. That poor woman is fading before our eyes, and if it were my child I would be doing what the McCanns are doing. Personally I never left my children alone and think it was crazy of them to do it, but it is common practice and I know a fair few people who have done the same.

And it is rubbish that it is because they are middle class that they are getting the press coverage. What of Sarah Payne? She is still mentioned. It is down to the parents to have the strength to organise such a campaign. To say that this campaign is wrong because there are other suffering children is mad - let's campaign for them too rather than negating what two people are doing to get their child back.

The only reason I wouldn't want to see Madeleine in the media is because it makes me want to weep when I think of what this small child has been through, not a good enough reason to stop it I think.

That we could help save the children killed and maimed .... and gone missing .... in Iraq as they scavenge for food in garbage dumps, try to get some drinking water for their family, or attempt to go to a bombed out school that has no electricity. While one can never minimize the acute suffering of this British family with the plight of their missing child, one wonders where are the Beckhams, Popes, jet-setting holiday makers - and the media - when it comes to the misery, squalour, and inhumanity that has been inflicted on children in Iraq and many other countries.

If I were in the same situation I would do all I possibly could to find my child and so would every parent so please pray and keep looking.

I cannot imagine - as a mother and grandmother - anything worse that could possibly happen. Not only the loss of a child - but worse, the fear of what may be happening to her beggars the imagination. I applaud their courage and determination to fight in every way they can find to find their child. You know, as an ardent opponent of the death penalty, I would still like to line up the perpertrators of crimes against children against a wall and riddle them with bullets. I never thought I would say such a thing but I have.

It is truly astonishing that anyone - anyone! - could suggest - as some have in this dialogue - that the McCanns have been courting celebrity status in their efforts to keep the case in the public eye to maximise the chances of getting their daughter back.

Is it seriously suggested that the McCanns want to be celebrities? That they should hold back on any step - whatever it might be - to get Madeline back? The people who have posted these notions clearly have no conception of the agony of being a parent in this kind of situation, and the desperation they feel. There is nothing - absolutely nothing on this earth - I would not do if I thought it would get my little girl back to her family in circumstances like these. The McCanns are intelligent and articulate, and they should use these advantages, and every other means at their disposal, to find their daughter. It's nothing short of their absolute duty as parents.

Being a parent and protecting your child is the most important job anyone can ever have. The McCanns' agony and self-recrimination needs no intensification from anyone.

Shame on anyone who suggests that they could possibly be enjoying this. Such notions beggar belief.

What parent wouldn't do everything in their power to find their missing child? Does it really matter that celebrities have become involved? Are the people of Britain so insular they have to bring up class? Why does it seem to concern so many that the McCann family are white and middle class?

A young child is missing, and as there is no apparent evidence to suggest she might be dead, everything should be done to find her and keep the case in the public eye. If people are 'bored' of hearing about the story or feel 鈥榰ncomfortable鈥� with the media coverage, then turn off the TV or radio and lay down the paper, no one is forcing you to watch, read or listen.

The McCann family is not using their religion. They were Catholics before their daughter vanished and it's obvious their faith is helping them through this ordeal. How wonderful they could attend the general audience in St Peter鈥檚 Square and gain so much strength from meeting the Pope.

Let's stop judging and instead think about how we can use the media to find other missing children and teens and prevent them from disappearing in the first place, but please allow the McCanns continued access to the worldwide media and then leave them in peace once Madeleine is home.

Mother of four, USA

Question : Why did the McCann's leave this small child alone so they could go out for dinner? The Media is only giving them sympathy by airing their story. If anyone is to blame for their childs disappearance the McCann's, need only to look in the mirror. NEVER LEAVE YOUR SMALL CHILD UNATTENDED !
This the McCann's " 15 minutes of fame". I'm very sorry for what this poor child has probably suffered, but I'm sorry her life is being used in this manner.

Whilst I sympathise profusely with the the family's plight, the level and duration of media coverage for this case is reaching ridiculous proportions. Although it may sound cold and heartless, she is ultimately only one child; there are thousands of others throughout the world both suffering and missing.

Reluctantly, I'm tempted to think that the 'white middle class adorable child' look has captivated the media and in turn the public. Whilst concern is to be commended, this event, although tragic, must be put in context of reality.

Unfortunately, I also believe many influential figures who have involved themselves in the campaign have done so purely to raise their own image in the public eye. Coverage now seems to have surpassed the event itself and become a farse.

of both Her parents have cooperated heavily with the media to keep her in the public eye in the hope of finding her. Yesterday Gerry and Kate McCann met the Pope. Later this week they will travel to Madrid.

Everyone will sympathise with the McCanns鈥� plight. But some are beginning to feel uneasy about their campaign and the coverage it is getting. Is the media right to continue to give their story such prominence? And is the intervention of figures like Gordon Brown, David Beckham and the Pope appropriate?

I think a wide media coverage may be instrumental in tracing Kate McCann and therefore support it.I empathize fully with the parents who as everyone knows are doing everything possible to trace their daughter.I wish them all the luck in the world.The wide media coverage reminded other parents including myself of the hidden dangers around us and may make it more difficult for similar abductions to happen.

As a mother, of course I would do absolutely ANYTHING to bring my missing child home...I think the McCann's are right...keep the abduction in the public eye and push, push...surely someone somewhere must know something!

The only things that I am uneasy about are the fact that a very little girl is missing and in a very serious situation, and that people can be so very insensitive to her parents who must be going through hell. I do not begrudge them one moment of media coverage.

I have read all the comments-I have very mixed feelings. I must confess to feeling angry with the Mcanns not only for leaving their children-inexcusable from doctors and potentially prosecutable
but also when they appeared on TV on Missing Children's Day they made no refernece to the very many hundreds of other missing children. Someone on this has called for a European register-i think that an excellent idea.other children need to be given more prominenece- let's hope this is the start of something much bigger.The real victim is not her parents-who are no doubt riddled with guilt as they should be-but Madeleine.I hold all missing children and their parents in my prayers and trust that something bigger will come out of this.If that happens the publicity which i do find somewhat sickening will be worth it.

where is the message I posted around 5pm?

I don鈥檛 want to go 鈥榦ff message鈥�, but I feel the treatment of this affair is just another example of a generalized problem with the papers (a latterly TV too 鈥� which follows the press more and more slavishly). I just feel that they are all desperate for stories and sensations and that they don鈥檛 really care about the victims or the due process of law. The whole affair just seems to be a big bun fight and feeding frezy. The press have already told the entire world that this Robert Murrat guy is a paedofillic child abductor, but as far as I鈥檓 aware that鈥檚 not been established. It used to be that the due processes of the law established guilt or innocence and the press reported the outcome. These days it seems the press wants to pre-empt everything and call the shots to suit their own agendas. I think the whole tragedy has been turned into a soap opera. I don鈥檛 blame the MacCanns (who are just trying everything to get their daughter back), but I do blame our press. I鈥檓 sorry that the 大象传媒 can鈥檛 stick to its old news values and try to remain factual, concise, and a little circumspect.

The McCanns, who must be going through Hell at the moment, know that they bear the main responsibility for what has happened to their daughter. They should not have left such young children on their own no matter how near their restaurant was. How they could envisage that a meal could be enjoyed in such circumstances I fail to understand.
While they were extremely foolish in what they did I have much sympathy for them knowing that they will have to live with their actions for the restof their lives, whatever the outcome.

With regard to the major coverage that has been given to their case I am firmly of the opinion that it would have been far wiser to apply the effort to recover Madeleine in a far less publicised way.
The person or persons who have kidnapped her may be far from stable and if the media coverage leads them to believe that they are about to be discovered the very worst scenario may occur and a beautiful young life may be terminated to remove the obvious evidence.

As a mother, I can understand the heartache Madeleine's parents must be experiencing. My child was missing for two days once, but was returned safely.

Whether someone's child is missing, or dies in shocking circumstances, it is essential that the parents receive understanding and support. Another 大象传媒 Online News item today reports on the inquest of a child in shocking circumstances (in England). The child was apparently being cared for (by the State) when he died:

Of course everyone can agree that if they were in the McCann's shoes, they would be trying to use and exploit the media attention as much as possible, in order to keep the possibility of finding their daughter alive. However, I do feel that the coverage is HUGELY disproportionate to the story - I would much rather see the same amount of coverage given to all those hundreds and thousands of children suffering in Darfur, all those children going missing each week, the plight of children in war zones etc etc. I would love for Madeline to be found, however I am not at ease with how the media is portraying it. If a child went missing here in Edinburgh, I'm sure I would not see as many posters appealing for their whereabouts as I have seen concerning Madeline. I mean, it happened in Portugal, not here!Why should they be appealing for information to the British public!?I concur with the view that the white, middle-class, blue eyed, blonde-haired image may have something to do with the coverage, but I sincerely hope that is simply just my synicism.

I have the greatest of empathy with the McCann's. What they are going through is hard to comprehend. But were the circumstances different, would the media be so interested...the McCann's daughter is not the only missing girl in Britain or the wider world, but she is photogenic, her parents are middle class and increasingly I feel that this is muddying matters.
And increasingly I also feel that the media don't know when to let go of the story. There has been little of note in real news terms to report over the last couple of weeks, and so instead, the campaign becomes the focus.
And I start to think that this is not healthy, for us or for the parents.
At some point the media has to move on to the next appalling event and four weeks spent on one story which has seemingly not moved at all, cannot be wise.

hi i do feel there is now to much reporting of this case it could push who ever has this lovely little girl to not come foreward and give her back.my heart goes out to this family,but maybe they should bring some normality back for the twins how ever hard this may be and go back home

If it was my child, I wouldn't give a stuff whether everyone in media-land thought what I was doing was appropriate or not - I would do ANYTHING to get my child back, and expect the McCanns to feel exactly the same.
I hope the media coverage will mean that it's not so easy to snatch any child from anywhere in this media-obsessed world again.

None of the posts that I have read mention the apparent inefficiency of the Portugese police and the secrecy of their legal system. If the snatching of Maddy had occured in England, the police would (hopefully)have handled it differently and they would have been the drivers with the appeals to the public.

As well as the natural parental grief and desperation to get their child back, the McCanns are to some extent filling a vacuum left by the Portugese police. If they can get the media interest good luck to them. My heart goes out to them as this is obviously part of their ways of coping with the loss.

I do have to wonder, though about some of the tactics of the media who are 'helping' them. For example, the News of the World, with the travelling roadshow advertising the reward in Portugal seems to have all its billboard material in English. What's that all about -- the only conclusions can be that either they assume everyone speaks in English in the whole of Portugal; they think that only english speakers have any information to offer or, more likely, they want to use the english language billboards to appear in both their newspapers, on their sister Sky News and in the backgound in other shots, to bolster their image/circulation back home.

As for the holier-than-thou comments from posts above about the McCanns leaving the kids alone and therefore asking for trouble, children have been snatched while parents have been in the house. Remember the little 3 year old taken from her bath? It's totally out of order to point the finger at them.

Let's not let tall poppy syndrome creep into something quite so desperate as this dreadful situation!

It may SEEM excessive coverage but stop for just one moment and think... What if it were YOUR child -and you had the passion, love, connections (perhaps?)or just the simple guts to maintain the pressure on the media? I'm quite sure you would.

The media and the celebrities are CHOOSING to support the McCanns. No-one is forcing them. She is a young, lonely little girl, probably sitting somewhere right now missing her Mummy and Daddy. Let's not forget her.

Perhaps, instead of forgetting Medeleine, a better choice would be for the media and celebrities to become more involved in cases where the parents don't possess the street smarts or ability to maintain such a high focus.

I for one support then and wish them well. Long may the McCanns be able to keep their little girl in the limelight - at least until she's safely home I hope.

"HUGELY disproportionate"
- Exactly.

I'm beginning to hate those red-top posters plastered everywhere, like adverts for the NoW etc....

IT'S A REAL TRAGEDY SHE'S GONE BUT SHE IS ONLY ONE GIRL!!

Children go missing every day. Does every parent get to meet the pope? Ridiculous.

Please don't stop keeping this horror story in the papers and on tv.
It breaks my heart and upsets me but my upset is nothing in compared to the McCann's, we must keep this in the public eye until she is found. What she must be going through is terrible.
Pray they find her soon.

I think that, for all the sympathy I have for the parents, the media has to draw a line at which point a story, regardless of its merits, has to be gradually dropped if nothing of note happens.

What worries me is the disproportionate level of coverage the story has garnered not in the immediate week or 2 after the abduction, but 3 weeks following when nothing significant has happened. One does not recall such continiuous coverage of the flooding of New Orleans.

I'm concerned that the media focus could go badly as well as beneficially !

It depends on the motivation of the abductors!
If they are deserate types who want a child of their own ,they might be induced to return Madeleline out of compassion and fear of getting caught !
Howecver , if they are professional child abducters , this could have serious consequences !
I wonder just how well thought out has been this approach !...?

How dare the media question what the McCann family are trying to do by keeping their daughter's name in the spotlight. I am not a catholic, but I am a former employee of the 大象传媒, so for goodness sake, have some goodness in your heart. This couple have been going through the worst nightware any parent could ever imagine. Let them do what they feel they need to do. If this child were your child, would you not do everything in your power to get your child back!

Linda Cardy, Purley, Surrey

First off all i hope Madeleine is safe.
But who here would leave their children alone? 0 thats how many, they are using the media to try and get the blame off them, and if this was a working class family the papers would want them prosecuted for leaving the children alone, but because they are middle class it is all different, and i have not seen them shed a single tear and this is a first i have heard of parents flying around europe on a private jet and meeting the pope. I also think they have hired a PR company as one person said.

Dan

Please allow this couple to help get their daughter back in any way they can. How can you dare to question the dignity of this couple who are only trying their best to get their daughter back, and the only way they know how to do that is to keep her in the headlines! I ask, if this had happened to Geremy Paxman's daughter, would he not try everything in his power to get her back?

Of course the media should give the story prominence - it can only help.

What is not helping however is this increasing emphasis upon faith. I think the intervention from the Pope was a cynical ploy from the vatican. Financial support would be more welcome than a blessing.

We all hope Madeline is found. If she is, it will be due to the parents hard work in keeping the story live and the vigilance of the public...not through faith, god or any number of blessings

If I was in the same awful predicament as the McCann's, I would be doing anything I could to keep my daughter's hope alive. I think it is grotesque to suggest that just because her parents are affluent or she is more photogenic (what in God's name does that mean or have anything to do with the fact that she is missing), this little girl should be abandoned to politically correct silence. I think they are absolutely right to do what they are doing and to intellectualise this gut-wrenching heartbreak is malign and quite sickening.

This has turned into a taboo. No-one can challenge the motivations of the press or the parents in this case because a child is involved. The child is the centre of this affair.. not the attention seeking of the parents. All that will happen out of this media fiasco is that pseudo-witnesses will come out of the woodwork and claim money from the 'let's get a front page' media.
Step back and let the police get on with their work unhindered by the spotlight of the gawking public....

It's 100% appropriate - these people have influence that money just can't buy. Why shoudln't they use this to help these poor parents?

Any other parent would do the same if they could. If your tired of the coverage skip the page or turn the channel. I always manage to when Big Brother or footballers invade my TV screen.

This is one child amongst hundreds that have disappeared - why is it news?

I am so glad to see that I'm not alone. For many days I have been shocked at the coverage this tragic incident has attracted. Whilst this sort of story certainly merits media coverage many outlets, including the 大象传媒, have gone completely over the top.

I am also reassured to see that others who have made comments on the topic have recognised the inconsistency with how the media have reported this story compared to how it is likely to have been reported if the McCanns had been in Britain and had left Madeline and her siblings at home whilst they went to the pub. Just because they were on holiday does not make this type of neglect any better. If the setting had been back home, I'm sure the tabloid headlines would have been very different.

The man from the Sun was totally ridiculous: the idea that the media's primary concern is the child's safety is itself totally ridiculous. I do not deny that the editor may be personally concerned, but his paper's primary job is to sell copy and raise ratings.
There are hundreds, thousands of children who are mistreated every single year in this city and this country. The vast majority of them attract no media interest whatsoever.
His attack on an "intelectual argument" says it all: don't bring the intelect into this discussion, please.
I thought he was totally unconvicing. I even question the wisdom of inviting him! Asking him whether the media have been doing a good job is like asking the salesman whether his product is any good.

Indeed any child- or indeed any person- abducted from their family is a terrible event, especially for the family in question... but what does this particular case have that evokes such a huge media response? Surely only a team of investigators and the parents are any help to finding the girl, who indeed may no longer have a corpral form. I don't actually see the Pope scrying with a crystal ball to find her, and I don't see how huge publicity will help either.

I thought we had EastEnders and Big Brother to fill our own vacuous lives. Do we really need more depression ad nihilism?

I think there has been a very disproportionate amount of media coverage about this. I, like any decent human being hope that this child like every other missing child is found safe. I do, however feel there is a lesson to be learnt in this scenario and that is that the children should never have been left like that.The truth hurts and they must realise the awful truth now. They seem like the type of people who wanted it all in life and now they are paying the ultimate price. I wonder if there had been different circumstances and a child had disappeared in similar way and the parents were not so professional and organised and media focused would there be the same amount of coverage. Its sad but the tabloid newspapers have to have their scoop and sensationalism no matter what they say.

The McCann enthusiasm is celebration of innocence and commiseration of loss..a Mary Magdelayne..of social suffering sympathisers...

...every woman knows the anger and annoyance attack threat smack harsh words struggles and temper they have at their kids...

...they all know the guilt and fear of what might happen to them for expressing too much ...in a behaviourist world where anyone might fit them up for abusing their children ...and accuse them of some psychiatric motive for supposedly deliberately not looking after them properly...

Many women suffer so much because of immoral enemies and vindictive accusation...lies put about to break her kind down...

...she at last was someone who could care and be beautiful and yet distressed and loved by the world around her and forgiven at the same time....

...to challenge the system and raise the many hidden unseen trivialised sidelined issues around the world...

Or was it every woman's dream of complete irresponsibility?...

...we think she did it...an old sheep in wolf clothing trick ...playing the naked new lamb...knowing she is about to be sacrificed and finding it a depth glore of glorious shameless abandonment and disgraceful failure and ruination of her life future and career...a real jail whore...for the incarceration and condemnation ...to come...

We cant wait for the roller coaster ride to really plunge as she gets arrested and the tales turn back to heads... and rational who dunnit investigation again...

She was playing the psychiatric economic games ...the kind that won her her place in society ...and the high life of her income...she knows what it takes to get past the others...

The budding feud is about to go historique! but this time when it turns over...the psychiatricsters beliefs ...will lose...to rational whodunnit investigation....

Anyone who has been lost or put in dangerous circumstances sees it as a test and a challenge to be conquered ..never to happen again...cos who would dare!

...but people need experience and the supportive care they ask for...

...and every nation must act to get rid of the unseen predators that hide behind the mistique of denial and desirablity....

I hope there is a happy ending to this event very soon but let's not forget the circumstances surrounding Maddy's abduction; she, and her siblings, had been left unattended by their parents. We have to wonder what the media would have made of it had the parents been working class from a council estate. Although we'd all like to think not, the sad truth is that the media would probably be portraying the parents as irresponsible etc etc rather than concentrating on finding the innocent child, as they are doing in this case.

Going onto the intervention of stars such as David Beckham - again, the sad truth is that these people would not take part in TV campaigns etc for the missing child of "irresponsible" working class parents from a council estate because it would not provide enough "good press" to advantage their showbiz career in any way, shape or form.

The media has such strong influence and impact on us. It is main way of communication so is it not logical to use it for such an important reason? The McCanns are doing what they need to do to get their child back. I don't think anybody has the right to say the coverage is too much or blown way out of proportion because many of us have not felt what the McCanns are going through. Surely if that did happen to me, I would be "abusing" the media's power. Yes, there are parents in the world that have lost their children but there is no point in saying such bitter things about "why aren't those other missing children in the public eye and why is Madeline's story is?" - life is just like that, it is the McCann's determination that is keeping their daughter in the public eye.

We shouldn't forget that the McCanns have needed considerable help to overcome the ridiculous and incompetent behaviour of the Portuguese police. They deserve the support they have had, and have brought an important issue - that of uniformity of sensible, professional policing - to our attention.
Surely this is the kind of important issue we should demand that the European Commission deals with, rather than debating new names for Bacon Flavoured crisps!

Totally unrelated of course... but I grew up down under during the time of the Chamberlains ... the parental publicity there was over the top in my opinion... but as I say, the affair was totally unrelated..

Normal publicity within the locality will help possible witnesses to come forward. Seeing the Pope will not.

If we are concerned about what the abductors may do to solve the problem they are now in, given this worldwide publicity, and possibility for everyone and anyone to idenify the child, then it must be obvious that this huge, and much of it unhelpful publicity, has put the child in danger.

I hope I am wrong. But if I am not, then this PR to sell papers and fill TV programs should never happen again.

whilst it must be of comfort to the parents I too feel slightly uneasy as to the amount of press. My main reason for this being( as a friend of mine pointed out) - would a single parent in these circumstances been given the same compassion and news coverage? I fear in those circumstances the coverage would have been very different.

It's impossible to read all of these postings, but I want to echo the comments of all those sensible, compassionate people out there who understand why the McCanns would do absolutely anything to improve the chance of their daughter being found. How could any of your correspondents be so stupid as to say 'she's only one child'? Obviously not a parent himself. By the way, I didn't think much of the pretentious woman from the 'Independent' on tonight's programme either! Kelvin M. very nearly managed to put her in her place- I enjoyed that bit.

I am a parent and yes i am troubled by the amount of coverage and no not because i don't care or that i have no sympathy towards the family. No one can begin to imagine the trauma they are going through and i pray for Maddy everyday, But what about all the other children in the world that are lost or suffering at the hands of perverts?. If this had happened to a young single mum from a different social class out for dinner 40rds from where her 3 children under 5 slept would she have recieved the same sympathy from the world and coverage from the media?

There's less chance of finding maddy now with all the media attention. Due to one fact - this topic has become irritating for most people. People will try to ignore the news whenever the clumsey duo are mentioned. The more sick they are, will mean the less observant they are and thus helpful. In workplaces across the land, the topic has become a debate about the media & the Mccans and even jokes about the situation. So lets leave the investigation to the police and the clumsy duo to clam down.

I support 100% the McCann's and wish the campaign goes on until they can find their little Maddy. Unfortunately, I'm not a mother, but I belive that if I was in their situation I would do anything in my hands, as they are doing, to try to find my daughter.
It's being very disappointing to see comments questioning how good parents they are and the attention to the twins.

In reference to all the missing children in the worl, really a shame the same campaign does not take place. And it should be those in the power as the Prince, the Pope... and above all politicians, who should invest more in bringing up the new generations keeping them away of violence, so that we could ensure a better world.

Gerry, Kate I hope your nightmare ends soon and this helps many other missing children.

Madelines parents left 3 young children alone in a hotel that offered a babysitting service. Surely 2 well educated professional people should have known better? Maybe the media should use this case to highlight the dangers of leaving young children alone.

There is no right and wrong in all this beyond the actions of those or the person who kidnapped the poor girl.

The repercussions of her parents leaving her and her siblings alone, the media coverage and the involvement of celebrities and the rest will need to be discussed once a conclusion is had.

Until then I see no real benefit in airing views which frankly serve no real purpose.

Would we prefer that the the parents keep a dignified withdrawal from the media gaze, a sense of mourning almost - or go all out to get all the publicity they can? I don't think so - however, it is the unpallatable truth that the 'support' of the media would have been absent had the family not been white , middle class, attractive...

I sincerely hope that Madelaine is found safe and well, but I agree with the consensus that the media coverage has gone overboard in light of the hundreds of children that go missing each year. It appears that this white middle class couple have the affordability to remain in Portugal under the spotlight of media attention:- this priviledge would not be possible for a poorer working class family.
I feel that whatever happens or has happened to Madelaine will be the subject of blockbuster book and movie sales in the future, and I pray that the proceeds will be given to the appropriate organisations involved in finding other lost children in the future.
May this be a lesson to all parents, that children should never be left unaccompanied, and highly educated people should realise this. The parents should be prosecuted for neglect, not celebrated for milking the limelight by enjoying an audience with the pope and involving other prominent leaders. This portrayal of concern for their daughter would never have caused such trauma for Madelaine if they had given her the respect she deserved as a child prior to abandoning her.

I would like as a resident of Praia da Luz to comment on Mr. Tony Goodbody's remark about the inefficiency of the Portuguese police. I was one of the first people to arrive at the scene of the dissapearance of the little girl. The first thing that we and the police were told was that the little girl got out of the apt. herself to look for her parents. This is a small village with a tiny police force and without any means. Within a few hours more than 150 police and other forces were on the scene and as far as I am concerned, they did their utmost to find this girl. Your comment is a bit ridiculous when it is a known fact that the British secret service were on the trail of the July bombers and let them go with the tragic consequences we all know.

I do sympathised with the Mccann family and i pray that God will bring the little girl back to them safely. But i think we have seen and heard enough of the story. i think at this stage the media should let the police do their job in peace. Like everyone has been saying what makes this case any different from the other cases of children snatched from their home or went missing? I think this is just been blown out of proportion

All though the dissapearance of any child is every parents nightmare.And one sympathys are with the family.
Personelly I think all the publicity could have a boomarang effect that will come back to haunt the McCanns for the rest off their lives.
Giving out to much information especially about the unusual mark on the Iris in Madeline's eye.

In my opinion this would cause the person or persons who kidnaped her to panic.And I dought very much if the child will be found alive.

Has previously mentioned thousand of children go missing all over the world every second of every day.

I feel the McCanns should now channel their energy, new found fame and money into setting up an international charity fund to trace all missing children worldwide.
Who are not only abducted but sold into child prostitution.

I think that this story should remain in the news as it has not been resolved and we need this to happen. It is not just about the McCann family it is setting a template for what we can do in fututre cases and it is showing the type of person who may be thinking of doing such an act that they will be sought after by all of us!
We need to make a stand and show that we are not willing to let this type of thing go on anymore. We will find them and they will be brought to justice!
The McCann family are only doing what any other parent would try to do and that is to make sure that people are kept thinking of Madeline.
I can not understand when people say this is now about the parents! How do you expect them to act! Do you want them to say, "Oh well, we have two other children, lets just forget about Madeline!"
I have never heard such rubbish in all my life, but then what else would you expect.. the Britsh public are renowned for it, build people up just to knock them down from a great height. But we can not do this! We are talking about a childs life, so if anyone needs to get a grip it is the people who say they are bored of the story.
My answer to them is, just hope it never happens to you or anyone dear to you because then the shoe will be on the other foot! And I bet you would not be bored!
There has indeed been a lot of news coverage, but a lot of questions have not been answered either!
Such as what happened about the tracker dogs that could have helped?
Why were some appartments near the McCann appartment never checked?
And why can the Portugeuse police not get simple facts right? They gave wrong height of the man seen carrying a child?
I think that we need to see this through and hope for a joyful reunion, but if we wait for the police over there it willprobably be on Madelines 18th birthday!!!

I could go on to complain about the uncalled for attacks on the McCanns and the media but I will not. I am from Derry in Northern Ireland and I am annoyed that my sighting of a four year old resembling Madeleine was not able to be reported as the phone numbers given were unavailable on the times I phoned. Is there anyone out there who would like more information as I have more. I am not a publicity seeker nor a crank but if someone believes this young child could be in Derry plesase leave a message. I have not given up hope so why should the child's family.

if the pr gones to far. the wost thigs we will end up will trun to the next handlines.

I am so sorry for the Mc Cann's. I am thankful that they have a faith in God which will help to sustain them through these terrible days of waiting to hear news of their lovely little Madeleiene. I pray that she is still alive, that she is being cared for, that she has not been abused, and that whoever is holding her will return her to her parents now. All such children are important and some of us are giving financial help to those who are poor and needy all the time but our focus now is on little Madeleine. I don't know her family , probably never will, but my heart goes out to them. May God be with them all and may the Holy Spirit be their comforter and guide.
Love from N. Ireland Presbyterian
Meta

I am so sorry for the Mc Cann's. I am thankful that they have a faith in God which will help to sustain them through these terrible days of waiting to hear news of their lovely little Madeleiene. I don't know her family , probably never will, but my heart goes out to them. May God be with them all and may the Holy Spirit be their comforter and guide.
Love from N. Ireland Presbyterian
Meta

Madelines parents left 3 young children alone in a hotel that offered a babysitting service. Surely 2 well educated professional people should have known better? Maybe the media should use this case to highlight the dangers of leaving young children alone.

Weeks ago I emailed Sky news complaining about the overkill coverage of this child. At last a debate on Newsnight tonight raised the important issues of media overkill? Of course we got the usual bullying and shouting from that tabloid editor who has seen better days, but the public are becoming tiresome of the coverage especially on our TV screens.

It took three weeks for a journalist to finally ask, but only mildly and not to cause offence, why three children all under 4 year old were left by their parents on their own whilst they had a jolly out of sight at a restaurant?

The kids could have had an accident or caught up in a fire. AS there was no apparent break in (and therefore no forensic), who is to say the child never got up out of her bed and went out on her own accord, wandered and was either taken away or died in an out of the way place and has yet to be found?

Now the meddlesome PR minded Pope. What is needed is not religion - that won鈥檛 find this child, but a police force that is modern and accountable. The Portuguese Police have been both totally incompetent and pathetically inept and someone should tell them so.
Over 100 children go missing every year in the UK we are told, so why so much publicity to this one incident. Is it because the parents of Madeline are nice middle class articulate people and the kids from council estates are parented by the poor inarticulate working class.

At the end of the day a small child is (still) missing under distressing circumstances. Anything positive that is done to highlight that (and hopefully address larger issues such as the number of missing children generally, child prostitution, child pornography) is a good thing and something the world wide media should be involved in.

I have just watched the newsnight programme which ended at 11.20pm on 31/05/2007 and was appalled that the male guest was mentioning Ben Fordham who disappeared 19 years ago in Greece as I always thought that the child's name was Ben Needham. If a guest is going to make comparisons surely they should at least use the correct name. Personally I have no sympathy for the McCanns, only for Madeleine, who if she had been better looked after would surely have been safe today. If her parents had not been doctors then I am sure the other two children would have been taken into care after this incident.

I think the media are conniving at this because they identify with a middle class family who go out for a meal and leave their toddlers alone. This sort of thing is not supposed to happen to people like them. (Similarly tsunami's are not supposed to happen at holiday time in expensive holiday resorts where they might be on holiday and pretty little girls are not supposed to go missing in nice places like Soham.)
The parents are conniving (who can blame them) to avoid facing some very unpleasant possibilities of what may have happened to their daughter, that they may never see her again and their responsibility for her fate.
The public are conniving as they seem to have developed a taste for this communal grief since they went overboard for Princess Diana.
Having raised such high expectations at what point can this family return home if Madeleine is not found?
I sincerely hope that if someone is still holding this little girl all the publicity is not making it more difficult for them to just let her go.

It is quite unbelievable what some people here have written.

Bottom line is this: whatever kind of publicity it takes to get Madeleine back to her family is completely acceptable. Of course we all feel for any child who is lost or has been abducted, but this is the real world. The media will only make a story out of something that will sell - thankfully the McCann story is one of them.

Stop whingeing and be thankful that there are enough people out there who continue to buy the newspapers, watch the tv bulletins etc. And so should all of us. Because there's just a remote chance that one of those people will ultimately be instrumental in finding Madeleine - and every single person who has contributed to this discussion will then breathe a huge sigh of relief.

Firstly, I have no problem with the McCanns doing what they can to get their child back; who wouldn't?
Also no problem with the tabloids focusing on this rather than the usual celebrity rubbish.
However I do have a problem with the more 'serious' broadcasters devoting so much attention to this. There are plenty of other far more important problems in the world. Going on about this story may help Madeleine, but this is done at the cost of other stories. I have in mind things like Iraq, nuclear Iran, Global Warming, Zimbabwe, etc. which affect (or have the potential to) millions. Media coverage of these issues can influence policy for the better, so I think it is extremely unhealthy to see it dominated for a few weeks by a story that directly affects only a handful of people.
To its credit, the 大象传媒 is at least questioning itself about this. Better late than never.

I find the coverage, especially in the tabloids, but also on 大象传媒 TV and elsewhere, prurient and disproportionate.
I also feel queasy about the McCanns' behaviour and their seeming courting of publicity. They appear to have become the story, rather than their child - how in all truth will reporting an audience with the Pope assist in finding out what happened to their daughter?
And as for Beckham, Brown, MPs and the England cricket team - far easier to wear one's heart on one's sleeve than do anything genuinely useful.
There is something virtually voyeuristic in the fixation among members of the public in the personal family tragedy of the loss of one small child.
I have experience of working in the developing world among children (e.g. former child soldiers and the HIV positive) whose plight would never in a thousand years receive the same attention or concern. Why is there such a lack of media coverage about the lives and deaths of those children? Or the doubtless 100s of other European children who have vanished since early May?

I have every sympathy for little Maddy and certainly hope that she is found safely and returned to her parents.

However I like others have become uneasy with the tone of the reporting over the last 2-3weeks which has moved from any real reporting of facts of the case, leads etc and has turned to a media frenzy about "the fight" I see no relevance in the personal activities which the McCann's may find personal solace in - a pilgrimage to a shrine, audience with the pope, walk on the beach... These are all completely irrelevant to the reality of finding that little girl.

Unfortunately as some has said I have concerned that the massive media coverage will if anything have hindered the chances of finding Madeline safe and well, and reduced the likelihood of someone coming forward with an attack of conscence.

The likes of Gordon Brown should think more carefully about the implications of their intervention here - i've heard no comment from him on any other child that has likely gone missing in the last 4 weeks!

I dont doubt that if i was in their shoes i would be doing everything in my power to find my little girl, but like many have said i do worry at this implication that she is so much more deserving of the air time than all the hundreds of thousands of missing and abused children in the UK and abroad.

I too suspect that had this been a single mother from a council estate the story would run differently and social services would be questioning the safety of the other children in her care. I find it astonishing that two such educated people failed to leave a responsible person in charge of their child whilst out. I fail to see the relevance of the comparison to stepping out into the garden for a moment - which is clearly not the same as leaving 3 children under 5 unattended for 30minute stretches. I believe it is illegal in the UK to leave children under age 12 to fend for themselves?

All goes to show the tragic disparities in our society really...

There can never be enough exposure in a situation like this, however we need to remain mindful to exactly what the ultimate objective for the media is - viewing figures and sale of newspapers. We need to be careful that we don't make such a tragic situation into a media circus and end up with the parents becoming media junkies as with Sarah Payne's parents. My friends Steve and Marlene Aisenburg had their beautiful daughter stolen in Nov '97 (in FL), and because the authorities decided from the outset that they were themselves guilty, no time or efforts were spent trying to find what had really happened to Sabrina. She is still missing. We do all need to work together to find Madeline and the internet is a fantastic tool which enables the public to do their bit, however as for all the coverage .... no I don't think it is all necessary.

I feel very sorry for the McCanns, as I would be for any parent who has lost their child in this way (notwithstanding the fact that they left 3 small children in the hotel room alone, which would have received worldwide condemnation rather than sympathy had they been a working class family). This must be the hardest thing any parent has to deal with and if I were in their situation and had the same access to media (and the Pope!?!) who's to say that I wouldn't have done the same thing? However this media courage and the British criticism of the Portuguese police have proved beyond all doubt one thing, that British society is still ruled by class, and we still think that everything they do is superior to everyone else. It's similar to that old Animal Farm saying, "all people are equal, but some are more equal than others".

I live 45 yards from my local pub. The conservatory in the pub, where meals are served, provides an un-obstructed view of the front of the house, where one of my three children鈥檚 bedrooms is located.

Now let鈥檚 say I go for a meal and few drinks every night for a week to the pub, and that tonight was the last night I would not get the chance to do this for a long time. I would probably be thinking that, well, I don鈥檛 really need to check every half an hour, after all, they have been fine so far this week, lets make it an hour tonight. Everybody knows only too well how wonderful it is to get some quality time away from the day to day struggle that bringing up (in my case 2 and half year old twins and a 1 and half year old) children can be.

Now imagine getting home and discovering that the back of the house was left unlocked, you know the part you could not see whilst eating and drinking merrily? And the final ultimate horror: your child has gone?

Of course, the ultimate description of horror is someone coming into your OWN HOME and taking your child. No one ever expects that, not in your home, with its locks, your home is you castle. But this wasn鈥檛 at home, this was in a different country, where your guard is up even higher, and as a responsible parent, it is your duty to ensure you provide the essential child minding services that you do at home.

So had I gone to the pub tonight, the one from which I can see my house, and got home to find one of my children missing, at least I need only worry about finding her, and not worry about tough questions from Social Services and the Police about why I left them home alone, while I was having a spot of dinner in my local. And the money issues, you know, paying the mortgage, surviving, paying the child care costs? The what? Well they didn鈥檛 worry about paying them when they were offered, and they don鈥檛 need to now they are provided by the Fund.

Let the media now start to ask the real questions. Why were the children left alone when services to look after were provided but declined?

If the media don鈥檛 ask, then nobody will, after all, they seem to run the Social Services and Police forces.

My heart truly goes out to Maddy. I can not imagine the ordeal she is suffering. The anguish she is feeling. She is hopefully too young to appreciate the serious position she has been PUT in.

# 248 wrote ... One should not blame the parents, since not so long ago (in the UK) a little three year old girl was snatched from the bathroom in her home,... but is that not precisely the reason why the parents should have known better than leaving the child together with the twins alone in a room in a resort of which they knew little, and which was open to all and sundry with no security to speak of, I heard the McCann's say it was similar to dining in one's back garden, saying that is confirmation of their own guilt which they want to get rid of, but this is all in the past now
as to the publicity, well one knows the adage ... one victim is a tragedy, a thousand victims is merely a statistic.

Urgh, I'm totally sickened by the coverage this case has been given. Yes it's very sad, and yes boo hoo, but really. How much longer must it go on? I don't need to see the parents going to see the Pope, i don't care if her photo was blessed. If it makes her parents feel happier and the Pope doesn't mind then go for it, but do we have to see it? Is it really headline news???!

These people were irresponsible, and were it not for the fact that they were middle class parents they'd have been thrown to the wolves long ago.

This mass hysteria has got to stop, unfortunately it's all to believeable in the society we live it. I still remember having a minute's silence at school for Jamie Bulger for goodness sake! We have put up with such hysteria for far too long, it's time the newspapers woke up to the strength of public feeling that to a certain degree Mr and Mrs McCann have their responsibility for Madeline's disappearance and we should stop treating them with kid gloves..

Let's just imagine that noone had abducted Madeleine that night, but that maybe her or one of her siblings had woken up in a strange bed, in a strange place and wanted their mum, like little kids do night after night.
Would it have been ok for the child to have been crying for half an hour or more, scared and unable to find a grown up for comfort?
What about if the child had got out of bed and fallen? Hit its head on something? Or opened the (now apparently)unlocked door and wandered out into the resort and possibly into the path of a car? Or into the pool? Would that have been ok?
No, Mr McCann, thousands of people would NOT have left their toddlers unattended in a strange place.
If you don't want bad things to happen to your kids, you keep them with you or put them in the care of someone you trust. It's not totally foolproof but it works most of the time for most of us.
This tragedy was 100% preventable and I'm sick to the back teeth of Mr and Mrs McCann being presented as the victims of the piece.
The ONLY victim is Madeleine, who was badly, badly let down by her neglectful parents.

In an age where Britney Spears and Paris Hilton are headlined almost daily and the Millions that starve are forgotten Its very important that we start getting our priorities right. This story is a good start. And stories like this help raise much needed awareness of child abductions which are out of control in some parts of the world.

It is the child I feel deeply sad about and sorry for. It is the parents I heartily blame for her kidnapping. Dinner by candlelight while three toddlers remain home alone! Indeed! And now, while their child is god knows where and how, the parents bask in the warmth of Papal sympathy. Shame on all three! For there'd be but one valid reason for such an audience: to be taken to task for indefensible self-indulgence and neglect of three very young children. But NO 'authority' anywhere has risen to that task. Shame! Shame! Shame! A measure of where our culture has sunk to.

It's remarkable how many people find it easy to be judgemental. Or to criticise the search for Madeleine by saying so many others do not or have not received the same attention. Use your voice instead to demand that this case lead to the media being used in other missing persons and missing children's cases. The use of the internet alone has been fantastic and a credit to what internet communication can be used for. I'd far rather receive emails asking me to keep a look out for missing people than the barrage of home-grown philosophy and jokes that arrive in my in-boxes. And in the mainstream media, let's encourage other commercial organisations to be inspired to adopt some of the leads we are seeing here: videos shown at sporting functions asking us to look out for missing people in our area , mobile advertising, one or two billboards in our cities.... a small part of many companies' resources but what a step forward for the fast-fading sense of community we British once prided ourselves on.
And rather than criticise the McCanns for their mistake or their failing, let this be a lesson published far and wide as a reminder to other parents not to over-estimate the safety of their children. It's a reminder too of the many equally sad cases around the world where children are kidnapped for purposes of human trafficking, child-soldiering, prostitution.... so let it prompt us - the man on the street - not just the media to do more about that. The more the issues of child safety and child protection are talked up the better.

'Sympathize with the McCann's plight?' Kindly spell it out for me, what exactly is 'their' PLIGHT? Dinner by candlelight in utter unconcern for three toddlers at home alone? And now, with one stolen, they bask in the myopic sympathy of brainless media, police and popes? Posturings in search of hiding places for shame and guilt, that's where these parents are! And the child, WHERE IS MADELEINE? What's happened to her? We build arsenals of WMD's and secret prisons to torture and maim; we set surveillance eyes high in space from which NOTHING escapes. While on Earth, the poor are legion and the high and mighty cannot find one stolen child! I cannot but wonder who, truly, is behind this kidnapping.

I find it rather strange that an educated couple like the McCann's would leave three children alone in an apartment in a strange country while they dined and wined in a nearby restaurant having ignored the childcare facilities available. Ok, they kept checking on them every half hour or so I read but I know of a case where a mother and father left their three little boys alone for 20 minutes. During that time an electrical fault caused a fired resulting in the boys dying in their sleep from smoke inhallation. I would never leave a child alone in any circumstance. I also read that they did not report Madelaine missing for 40 minutes after returning from dinner. Is this correct? It all looks suspicious to me.

Let us think of Madeleine, everything that can be done to find her should be utilized. She was obviously taken by someone and that someone may have abducted other children and will continue to do so if he(she)is not arrested! Forget about who is to blame or who is hitching to the bandwagon, let's do whatever it takes to find Madeleine and the individual who abducted her!

Just like advertising helps sell product the media is helping the McCanns advertise for the return of their daughter. Back off everyone, let the media tell their story! What we should do is pray that this little one is found and returned to her loving family.

Well done to Jeremy Paxman and 大象传媒2 for finally covering this much overlooked angle on the McCann saga; I am truly sick of the coverage and wish the time could be shared with the many global causes mentioned by hundred's of other like minded people posting here. Jeremy even introduced the item on tonight's edition by saying "Madeline, who has apparently been abducted" to make it crystal clear that Newsnight at least has no bias and is doing some real unopinionated reporting unlike the rest of the media. Why have we not heard more - as the reporters are there anyway - on why the idiots left the children alone in the first place. Is everyone really convinced the parents don鈥檛 actually have a bigger part to play in the disappearance? What's next McCann's The Book, TV Movie. Hollywood Flick..... quite a money spinner really, but then perhaps I am just the one pessimist left standing!

The question we should ask is how would Madeleine feel about all this. I don't think she would feel uncomfortable about the effort put into finding and taking her away from what may well be a living hell. This is an innocent child so let's forget about how WE all feel about it. Perhaps the publicity this sad story has received may make other child abductors think twice about doing the most evil thing anyone could do, stealing a child's childhood and separating them from their family. It's not all about us!

I have sympathy for Madeleine, but not much for parents who leave their toddlers alone, especially in a foreign country, while they go out to dine and drink with friends! What kind of people do that?! I would seek as much publicity for my child as I could if he/she were kidnapped. I know that this is not fair to the thousands of other children kidnapped each year and are receiving no publicity. Blond hair gets a lot of publicity.

The odds are, if the McCanns had not left their children unattended, then Madeleine would not have been kidnapped! If someone wanted to take her and thought they could, they probably would have done it before she was alone! But once alone, they had the perfect opportunity.

Jesus, what's wrong with you jokers ?
Are these poor parents holding you back from covering 'Toady' Blair or some such garbage. Anything and everything must be done to get the kid back - if it would help they should have a cup of tea with Osama Bin Laden, if he can be found! Just advise them to stay away from Bush - he'll just screw up the search. I don't waste my time praying, but do hope they are successful in their hunt.

Madeleine parents are doing their utmost in order to get feed back which could help in finding their daughter. In some way they feel guilty and it's never enough fighting.

No Ian your not the only pessimist left i'm sure there are many of us who feel that the tail is wagging the dog ! As the parents jet of to Madrid by private jet this morning for yet another audience with some prominent figure, kindly paid for by some well minded millionaire who no doubt will lend his jet and holiday home next month to a one parent family who's child is ill and never had a holiday before !!

Perhaps i'm being harsh and unknown to us all the lawyers who turned up in Portugal a few days after the incident have set up a fund for the benefit of ALL parents in this unfortunate position and that all royalties and monies will be donated to the benefit of all.

For a set of parents who's annual income must be well above the national average and as a GP work in an eviroment where they give advice to other parents on child neglet and if needed report them to the authorities, it does ask the question do they live by the adage "of do as i say not as i do "

My main concern however is what happens to the next parents who child goes missing, and there WILL be a next, how do they live with the fact that they will be made to feel ! DID WE DO ENOUGH ! because they will not get the same media hype. This also goes for those who have gone before who now are made to feel that maybe if they had had the resources their stories might be different.

There are many comments about the fact that all the publicity must be good, but i finish with the thought and god forbid it should happen! but what happens when a car thief finds his stolen car to hot to handle ?

How could it be better for Madeleine if this story just died away and we all just moved on to the next set of headlines?

Keep this in everyone's faces!

Following on my earlier comment, and those that followed... there is no argument that Madeleine's parents must do all they can to find their child. If they are allowed to use the media to do that, then good for them.
The point of this discussion is the role of the media: they are happy to 'assist' in this case. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE HUNDREDS OF OTHER CASES of lost children??? I propose that the circumstances of those 'every day' cases are probably less sensational and therefore not as interesting a story.
I would love to bring back that Sun editor and for someone to ask him: what did you do a few weeks ago when Mr X lost his son, who suddenly disapeared??? Isn't it as traumatic and terrible for Mr X as for Madeleine's parents?
Of course, it might not sell as much copy. That IS what editors discuss in their offices, primarily not whether something terrible has happened.

I can't believe the number of instant critics that are determined to somehow blame the parents.

Either they must not have kids themselves, or have never been on a family holiday with kids.

Nobody watches their kids 24 hours a day, it's just not possible (or desirable).

Get off their cases!

Of course the columnist from 'The Independent' is correct. Kelvin MacKenzie's response was to do all he knows - and that's to try to browbeat someone who disagrees with him.

I feel sorry for the little girl herself (and hope she is found unharmed) as well as her brother and sister but I'm sure that there would have been howls of derison from the media had not been well-paid professionals but had say, come off a council estate? Whatever sympathy people may have for the parents now, the fact is that they neglected their children on the night in question. The media appear happy to gloss over the McCann's abdication of responsibility in pursuit of what has now become a 'cause' and that is hardly a healthy message.

Lets get the Newsnight discussion out of the way first - Bea Campbell trying to make a serious point and Kelvin McKenzie just carrying on his Sun editor philosophy of 'Make It Sexy, Make It Quick, Make It Up'. The tabloid press doesn't give a damn about the child only getting more readers and more profit. We also have to suffer the performances of career politicians and cabinet ministers with their yellow ribbons (they may as well had a badge saying 'Vote for Me!')
Now, the McCanns. Yes it is terrible for them, how do they live with themselves - because they and most of us know deep down there are two outcomes to this. And they will blame themselves all their lives - when I was seven years old my ten year old brother was killed in a road accident having been sent on an errand by my parents and they were never the same again.
Of course they will use every means possible to get their child back, but it does seem many people have been misled by their methods - the Web site have has had millions of hits, so? There are millions of nosey people in the world. The people who are going to know something really helpful will not be looking at Web sites or watching the FA Cup Final.
The family needs the media attention now, but will they welcome it when there is an outcome of the type we, and they must be dreading?

The McCanns are obviously sophisticated people and I imagine they would not have embarked on this deluge of high profile publicity without expert advice. However, my concern is that desperate people tend to do desperate things and it might be that the abductors who originally saw Madeleine as an asset are begining to see her as a liability. That can only be dangerous for the little girl and counter productive in the search.

I completely agree with post 313....it is now high time the McCanns started looking after their twins, who in my opinion desperately need stability and their parents attention big time!

To have a child taken from you I can only imagine to be one of the most heartbreaking things any parent would have to endure and any parent would do exactly what the McCanns have done by using the media to its fullest extent.

However, certain things seem to have been overlooked. The fact that Madeline was taken in her apartment surely wasn't 'chance'. It seems to me that the family were probably being watched for a while and that the parents left the children alone every night.

When you have children you have a different kind of holiday and late night meals with friends without the children is just something that you would not do. The parents have to shoulder full responsibility for this happening. If only Kate McCann had held onto her daughter as tightly as she holds on to her toy, this tragedy would never have happened.

By all means keep up the public profile. That should mean lots of pictures of Madelaine so that the public could recognize her if we saw her.
Audiences with the Pope etc. gives entirely the wrong message and is counter-productive.

It should be all about Madelaine, not "Look at us, how brave are we!" Frankly it's in very bad taste and someone should point out to the McCanns, and their extended family, just what vulgar grandstanders it portrays them to be.

I thought that Ms Campbell got it right in her comments last night. She said that meeting the Pope and talking to Gordon Brown were not to do with the little girl but entirely focussed on the parents. The girl's captor(s) will not expose Madeleine to view and hence publicity will not help. The fact that the huge reward on offer has not brought anyone out of the woodwork adds to the unlikelihood of her being found by a member of the public.
The only way to progress is by diligent police work (such as phone information, computer sources and, generally, the same techniques that are used for tracking terrorists).
Just one further thought: 'why will no one say exactly which windows were locked and which open - even Mrs McCann refused to disclose that?'.

The parents were wrong to leave their children alone as quite apart from the risk of being abducted it is only months since two young children died in Corfu from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Also, Kelvin Mckenzie got his facts wrong. It was Ben Needham not Fordham and he didn't disappear 19 years ago but in 1991 or 1992. His family didn't get the coverage the McCanns have had.

Quote Ian post 313"Why have we not heard more - as the reporters are there anyway - on why the idiots left the children alone in the first place."

My thoughts exactly!We have all been bending over backwards not to upset the family any more than they obviously already are, with the result that we have given less well educated parents the message that it is perfectly normal and acceptable to leave a toddler alone for half an hour!
One so-called child-care expert even said on GMTV that "there is always going to be times when you must leave your child alone"....SORRY! When? I have 4 children ranging from 14 to 6months and never in those 14 years have I ever left a toddler alone in a strange apartment. Call me a martyr if you like, but I know as well as any doctor what harm a small child can come to in 30 sec let alone 30 mins.
I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy but someone has to ask, what the hell were they thinking?

Vernon Coleman a leading columist is not affraid to ask the right questions into WHY.

www.vernoncoleman.com

click on the Miscellany link on the left hand side and then click on the Madeleine link.

The McCanns should be charged with Gross Neglect of three infants. They didn't leave them by mistake they left them, it seems every night. They left them in the creche morning, noon and what a pity not at night, if they had used the baby sitting service Maddy would be safely back in England now with her little brother and sister. Yes, her parents suffer but how much are they to blame for all the suffering Madeleine has and may still be suffering at the hands of God knows who, 100%. If they had worked as hard at looking after their children as they are working at trying to find Maddy then this would never have happened. Also, what effect is this having on the twins? First they are told their sister 'has gone on a little trip' and now their parents keep going on little trips! How they must wonder if they will ever see their parents ever again. Neglect is a crime and should be dealt with. To be a parent is the most important job in the world it is NOT A PART TIME JOB you fit in between going off with your friends to have jollies down the local Tapas bar.

I do hope Madeline is found safe and welL.In the midst of all this publicity,the are two facts that are commonly ignored.

1.Such press coverage may well disadvantage Madeline, if she is still alive, anybody who is holding her,may well intensify their abuse,in their efforts to conceal her.

2.Leaving three chidren without a carer is neglectful There were no migtigating factors, the parents were out enjoying a meal with friends. As doctors they will be well aware of how quickly emergencies arise and require treatment. Also Mrs Mccann as a G.P.must be aware of child protection issues and have known what she was doing was neglectful.

Despite this, I feel very sorry for their plight but what about all the other parents who are suffering the lost of a child and not getting all these extras to cushion their lost.

.It is neglectful to leave three children without a babysitter,at any age especially so young.Mr Mccann states many thousands of parents msy do the same,the rest of the world appears to be questioning the British attitude to thre children.
Thirdly This pubicity can not be helping Madeline's safety if she is,
God bless, still alive.
F

....of course it is ALL appropriate .....think John Donne ' ...Ask not for whom the bell tolls.....'

I am only surprised that you think it 'appropriate' to ask the question...... for the sake of all our children & Madeleine & her family in particular, at this time.

I can completely understand why the McCann parents want to their story up there for as long as needed, well for the summer holidays at least. WIth thousands of Brits away in Europe on holiday someone might spot Madelaine and with such a high profile the images of Madelaine are hard to miss. I have no problem with the story being so high up the agenda and good on the media for sticking with it. Of course there are plenty of other good causes that should be high up on the media agenda but that does not mean the search for Madelaine should be knocked off. This seems to be what the lady on Newsnight was suggesting. The lady also commented un-helpfully on the McCann's Faith in God this was a low blow and un called for. Sure the Pope element makes the news and why shouldn't it.
Lets not give up Hope!!

The more coverage the better! Its the only way to find answers and Maddie. The Media has been great in this and should carry on as long as it takes.

Enough publicity on this terrible situation!

What can do poor people, with the same pain but no mean to express themselves?

Shame on the McCann and the media,and let's give priority to other persons who better take care of their kids and just can shut up!

I would go from here to hell to find my child and I would use everything I could to help me,be it donated money the media or someones private jet,and ask for more when I needed it.Being a catholic I understand the importance of meeting the Pope and yes I would use him too!!!Starving babies in Africa,other missing children and the politics of the media....does any of this have anything to do with them or their missing child? There are obviously many many nasty,narrow minded bitter people out there who would be happy to see the child forgotten about.As for the ones who dare to comment on the care of the twins throughout all this I say even in this most dreadfull time the love and attention they are so obviously receiving is probably more than most get,if the juvenile crime figures are anything to go by.I wish them all the luck in the world and God speed to get their Maddy back.

Comment on 332.

Not sure your tone is appropriate. In fact its quite upsetting! Why do you feel the need to judge the parents for what is a common event (apart from with you of course). There are plenty of scenarios where a child could get hurt but as parents we all need to way up the issues and make our own judgment. The fault does NOT lie with the parents but with the people/person who has taken their child.

I would like to know how often these two doctors asked Social Workers to be involved in cases of child abuse when a parent or parents have left young children alone to go out to the pub at night! Earning around 200,000 pounds per year and two stingy to pay for a baby-sitter!
Is there any proof that this little girl was abducted or did she just walk out of the room whilst she was being neglected? Whilst I have every sympathy for the McCanns losing their daughter I want to know if they will be prosecuted for leaving their children alone.

Remember Leone Keating? Her mother left her in a caravan whilst she went out for a drink. Little Leone was found dead a few days later. Do people never learn? If she has been abducted then the McCanns bear some responsibility for enabling the perpetrator to carry out the crime, though the abduction, if one took place, is the perpetrator's responsibilty.

Let's just hope that if someone has her it is because they want a child to take care of and are looking after well. Unlike her parents.

Can I add to my earlier post that I absolutely refute the McCanns statement that thousands of parents leave their children unsupervised while they go out for a drink!

I have never known a single child who has been left alone while parents went out drinking. Perhaps I'm lucky.

To those who wish to wrap ther McCanns in cotton wool. The public and the media have every right to question the McCanns actions in leaving their children unsupervised, they are not blameless. It may be uncomfortable, and it may add to their troubles, but they must take responsibility for their actions.

Yes, children should be safe and not need constant watching but they are not. Yes, whoever abducted Madeline needs to be brought to justice but they would probably not have had the opportunity had the parents been more responsible. To use a comparison; would you leave your car unlocked with the keys in the ignition while in a restaurant?

There are rules and expectations about the standard of care parents provide for their children. They are there to prevent this kind of thing happening. When they fail, parents should be held accountable.

Anything could have happened to Madeline in that hotel room while her parents were absent. Had she suffered some accidental harm, rather than being abducted, we would have no hesitation in blaming the parents for leaving her unsupervised.

As a teacher, had this happened to a child on a school trip while my colleagues and I were having a meal elsewhere, I would expect my career to be over. Teachers are supposed to act "as a responsible parent would". Clearly these parents' actions were not responsible.

I am not against coverage of this issue, but it's the balance that concerns me. I am happy for it to be on the news, as long as there is actually some "news" to give us. Headlines like this morning's "The McCanns have arrived in Madrid" do nothing to advance the cause.

I say this from a practical point of view. Keep it in the news, by all means, when there is something relevant to say, and a lot of people will be interested. But the "over the top" coverage simply runs the risk of turning many thousands of viewers off, which is counter-productive.

As for the involvement of the pope, I am not a Roman Catholic, though I am a Christian. I do not see what business it is of those who have no religious faith to criticise those who do. The McCanns are clearly devout catholics, so it seems entirely appropriate to me in that context for the pope to have met them.

As far as the McCann's leaving their children in bed while they wee easting out is concerned. I'd like to add to my previous post340.

Aparently the parents were only a few yards away from their children and in view of them. This had been compared to eating in your back garden while your kids are upstairs sleeping. I certainly have to hold my hands up to this and I suppose someone could walk by my house and snatch my child. This happened actually to a family in Newcastle last Xmas. The child was taken from a bath and driven away with the parents in the house! So to blame the McCann's is not fully justified in my view.

Comment on 343, Mark I wonder what would happen in your school of a child was snatched from the play ground un noticed. WOuld you blame the break time monitor?

The way this story has gradually slipped from the front pages and slowly reduced in article size just goes to show how little evidence is now coming to light.

It seems to me that roping the Pope into all of this is just a desperate cry for some MORE media coverage.

I wish this story would just fizzle out and disappear from the public eye like it should of done long ago.

In answer to Neil's question (post 345):

All schools I have worked in have staff 'on duty' around the school, including playgrounds, before and after school and during breaks. The reason being the school has a 'duty of care' to pupils. If something happens to a pupil during the school day, the school may be considered to have failed in that duty of care. Teachers are expected to be 'on duty' to supervise pupils, thus taking reasonable steps to prevent any harm coming to them. If I am not on duty when I should be I am likely be taken to task by my Head for not doing my job. In addition we should not leave students unsupervised in classrooms for the same reason.

So yes, if a teacher or break supervisor were not where they should be and a child were taken then the teacher/supervisor would be to blame for failing to do their job. If supervison arrangements were inadequate, the school would have failed in its duty of care.

Indidentally, if you look at the aerial photo of the holiday complex (easily found on the 大象传媒 website), the position of the restaurant and the McCann's appartment was nothing like being in your garden while your children are in your house (as many have suggested).

Comment to Neil.
Have you looked at the map of the complex? We were all told how "close" the apartment is from the restaurant, but the map tells a different story. The backyard is not a good comparison... more like down the local pub on the corner!

There are thousands of children who disappear everyday. Nobody except their families care about them. Why is Madelaine so special? Is it because the parents are well connected.Please stop this Circus. shame on the media

I wonder with such a high profile media event - if unwittingly it may not put the abductor in a position whereby the only way out - is to kill the child? This is now a grave danger....but in the absence of what the cops are actually doing, difficult to figure out what the next step should be. It is now not looking very good unfortunately.

I have sympathy for the missing girl and her siblings. Sadly, Madeline is more than likely dead. History tells us that. Her brother/sister is now stuck in a foreign country, too young to understand what's going on. I have NO sympathy for these two parents, or any one else unfit to be parents, who leave pre-school aged children unattended at home, because they are too tight fisted to pay for a few hours childcare. (The truth hurts sometimes doesn't it). Yet they are now touring around Europe to see the pope in a private jet. (Maybe "GOD was looking after their children", didn't do a very good job did he???) The two remaining children should be taken into care and the parents need to be arrested for child neglect.

From someone who says it like it is!

The rights and wrongs of this case has brought many comments and i have my opinion on it as well ,i just think we should critize or praise at a time more appropriate. The merchants of chaos in the guise of the press and tv media outlets can do good but also can do harm.

I'm sick to death of it all.

If they were that concerned about her, they wouldn't have left her unattended in the first place.

Why is this girl getting so much attention, when there must be tens of kids go missing every week who are ignored?

Re comment #343:

People could steal your car at night, but you still lock it.

To spell it out for you, as the owner of a car, or the parent of a child, you take responsible steps to ensure your car/child is as safe as possible.

It is quite apropriate for such a family of very strong beliefs and faith to pursue all avenues. Comments have been made about the children being left - but their flat was in sight, and they made regular checks. However, I would ask if their were any security guards on site - and if not, why not.
Dorothy Warburton

I am tired about hearing this story. Whilst the child did not deserve to be abducted I have little sympathy with the parents, it was their neglect which allowed this to happen.

They were in a complex that offered a creche and child minding facilities, yet they felt it was more appropriate to leave 3 young children alone whilst they went to enjoy dinner!!! Something is not quite right there!

I hope Madeleine is found safe & well. However, I feel that it is totally unacceptable that Madeleine's parents have not been arrested. It's what happens to people in the UK when they leave a 3 year old (oh yes, and two year olds as well) alone as they go out enjoying themselves.
If you're on a family holiday there is a big difference between that and going on holiday as just a couple. They should remember why they had children. Should people EVER leave toddlers alone in the house while they pursue their own pleasures elsewhere- NO!! It's against the law!!! (and common sense)

David Beckham and Gordon Brown like many of us are parents and if it were my Child that had been taken I, Like any other parent would be beside myself with worry and thoughts of what had happened to the child would run riot in my mind.I think the media should keep this and other similar stories in the news, we have to listen about Iraq every day.I hope that Madeline is not suffering in any way and IF she is still alive she will be returned to her family.We are told we now live with globalisation let this be used in a positive way.
I wish the McCann's see their daughter again.

Of course the level of coverage is excessive. These parents are being treated like celebrities. However, I feel for both the lost child and the two siblings. It seems that the parents are more concerned with finding Madeline than caring for the remants of their family, or indeed their patients. I am also very concerned by the fact that these two are doctors, presumably employed by the NHS. I sincerely hope that we, the UK taxpayers, are not funding this "sabbatical" for them to traipse around Europe acting like celebrities.

If i was the parent i would be doing everything in my power to find my child. Having said that, i do think it is the media who have cashed in on this story to sell newspapers. Despite what leading journalists have said I have heard nothing about the dozens of other children which have gone missing over the years. I think it would be interesting to see what the press reaction would have been if the girl was Muslim or Black or if the parents were of a different "class". Behind the genuine distress and devastation of the parents is a cynical, cold press machine which is prepared to exploit this situation to sell newspapers. This is not the first time and it certainly won't be the last. My thoughts are with the parents and i hope for her safe return.

Coverage yes, but not from such a sensationalist viewpoint. Her name is Madeleine, not 'Maddy'.
Yes, she was pretty but there needs to be less of this 'poor, sweet, adorable little Maddikins' - we aren't a part of her parents' grief and to speak like we are is demeaning to them.

Whilst i do sympathise with the disappearance of Madeline, i cannot help but wonder a couple of things....
firstly all this media attention is not doing anything to find her, yes it is keeping her at the forefront of everyone's mind, but that's about it, and at some stage people will get tired of it. Secondly, if it had been an asian, black, chinese (or any other ehtnic background child) would they be affording it so much attention? thirdly, if this had happened in the UK, wouldn't social services be questioning the fact that a young child was left all alone at home, albeit for however many minutes, it still happened.

I think it is sad that such a tragic event - a child disappears - has sparked such a media frenzy.

Ofcourse parents should use every given possibility to pursue every avenue for the safe return of the child, but to be honest, I do not think that this media cricus will actually benefit the cause. The only ones gaining for this are the gutter press. Since Maddie's disappearance thousands of children went missing in the UK alone, with hardly any media attention. What makes this case so special?

I think it is irresponsible of parents to leave three toddlers unguarded with an occassional check every 30, 45 minutes. Imagine what could happen in between, apart from abduction.

I think it is also irresponsible of the British media to blame foreign authorities that do not comply with British standards and to suspect everyone that does not match the profile of the perfect neighbour.

I sincerely hope that she will be found in good health.

(replying to #351)
One, if you are so sick of it, then go do something else more productive and less sickening when the news is on. Or when you pass by the newspaper section in the supermarket, don't look at them! Complaining and wittering like you are is what is actually sick. If you have nothing valuable to contribute or anything positive to write and just like to bash the McCann's determination. I think what you wrote is pretty pathetic and sickening to me.

Two, "not concerned for her in the first place?" Well that is probably one of the most horrid things you can say about someone you don't know. If they weren't concerned for her, won't it have been easier for the McCanns to just leave her at home in England by herself? I think the McCanns were concerned and that is why she was taken on holiday with them. Unattended, yes, but the McCanns wanted their daughter to sleep. Most parents do actually consider what their children wants. Majority of parents do a lot of things while their children are sleeping, eating is one of the activities. It was foolish of the McCanns but they didn't know this would happen and they checked on their children?

Three. That is true, but as they say one is a tragedy and many is a statistic. If the McCanns stop the publicity, Madeline will fall into that group of statistics and the chances of her being found will be significantly lower. Also the McCanns are determined to get their daughter back. I laugh at your statement, you can't put it in terms like that, it's like saying "one child is abuse by somebody and makes the headlines, it is unfair to the other children are abused, they are being ignored". "One woman is raped, she gets a lot of media attention, it is unfair other rape victims are being ignored". Madeline is young, her kidnapping was a shock, her parents want her back and are determined that is why the media is focusing heavily on this. Those other missing children are not exactly ignored, the local police could be searching for him/her in a small scale. Not to mention it takes money to fund a campaign, those parents of other missing children may not have the money. Frankly there are parents that don't care about their children. Finally her name is "Madeline", not "this girl"!

Listen! what鈥檚 done is done! - Spare a thought for what little Madeleine's going through, frightened and just wanting to feel her parent鈥檚 arms around her.

You would do anything to get your children back, just think of the nightmare Mr & Mrs McCann are going through waking up each morning knowing it's real.

Instead of moaning on about them using the press to try and keep Madeleine's face in the news around the world, why don't you do something constructive? Please!

i feel all abductions should have as much exposure as possible, recent cases havnt had so much but i think the more the better for all, i think all the missing kids should be mentioned now to raise the awareness of them all. i know the mcanns arent entirely blameless but they are paying dearly for their mistake and have to live with it for ever and having to explain to their other 2 when old enough what happened, but the focus should be on finding these children safe and well, do the blaming later.

There are a few people who've posted here who are being awfully harsh, but very generally i agree.

Abductions are common place in Brazil, where dozens of young children go missing each week and very little is done about it.

One british child goes missing in portugal and it's world news.

I agree that anything and everything that can be done to get her back should be done, but i also see it as entirely unfair that the McCans are getting so much media coverage when other parents have received none whatsoever.

The other week the news of the world ran the story about jk rowling offering a reward under the banner WORLD EXCLUSIVE. Is this just an excuse to them to sell more papers than their rivals?

I don't like the references to 'white middle class' in this story, i heard a comment similar to this made by a black women on Question Time Last Night.If similar language was used about a black/Asian working class family would it be posted on a 大象传媒 site I think not.

Ponder what the media and public reaction would have been if these parents were non-professional, unreligious, working class chavs. It is likely they would be roundly condemned/hounded and their other children taken into care on the grounds of culpable negligence. This is a sickeningly class-biased episode which shows that far too many idiots still think that because you're a middle-class professional you are superior to people who aren't.

I, like many of you, hope and pray that this poor girl is returned safe and soon (and those other thousands of children who are currently missing)

But i think the media attention, European tour, meeting the Pope and the money they've received has taken this to a ridiculous level.

At the end of the day, they left their young children alone in an unlocked hotel room whilst they went and enjoyed themselves AND now they're leaving their other two children again to jet off around the rest of Europe. i think it's disgusting behaviour and God willing if the girl is found safe, she should go to more responsible parents

I think that it is possible that whoever took the child would, on hearing the public statements by her parents, get rid of the child as soon as they could.I may be wrong but i feel that if she has not been found alive she never will be.

I feel terrible for the McCanns and hope they find their daughter soon, but unless the Pope and Gordon Brown are going to intervene in every missing child case, they shouldn't intervene in this one. If the family want to meet a religious representative in private, that's up to them, but to make it public serves as a reminder of all those who don't get such treatment. Imagine the feelings of parents who only have a few posters of their missing child compared to this world-wide exposure. I hope it works for the McCanns, and they find Madeline, but whilst it doesn't happen for every child, I can't be entirely comfortable with it.

Its a circus rabble about one single event in a world of billions of events. The pope what point is meeting the pope, I hope the 'private jet' was nice! Seriously the money should have been better spent on the police force LOOKING FOR HER!

Such intensive media coverage to this problem can only, in my opinion, exacerbate the situation. Whoever has abducted Maddie and now has her prisoner is going to panic and we all know what that could mean as far as the child is concerned. Hopefully, not.

The publicity is appropriate. However, this incident does smack a bit of Macbeth in the McCanns are washing the blood ( guilt ) of thier hands in public of which I want no part. They took a calculated risk which every parent does. However, this risk was uneccessary to leave 3 extremely young children un-attended in a room was fool hardy and they will now pay the rest of thier shattered lives.

At last! This is a long overdue debate. The amount of coverage of the McCann story by the media has been ridiculous and the behaviour of the self-obsessed parents nauseating. One crucial question has been conspicuous by its absence in the media: why haven't the McCanns been charged with child neglect? It is illegal to leave a three year old and two two year olds alone - anything could have happened to them. Why haven't the parents been roundly condemned for their breathtakingly selfish actions?

I was so appalled by Jeremy Paxman's questioning of the relevance of Madeleine MacCann's media coverage that I feel the need to express my point of view and I am sure the following will be shared by many. Newsnight should have made far better use of last night's viewing time by focusing on the many shortfalls in the investigation conducted by the Portuguese police. Although Mr & Mrs MacCann have publicly distanced themselves from such direct criticism; they should not be judged too closely under such stressful circumstances. It is clear that the nation and beyond would like to see Madeleine MacCann found as soon as possible; in order for this to happen, emphasis needs to be placed on the evidence available. It is ridiculous that we still do not have a detailed physical description of the abductor! Why hasn't the entire camera footage of cars crossing the Portuguese/Spanish boarder point been scrutinised to potentially reveal the abductor's identity? Continued pressure needs to be applied to ensure that such obvious, yet laborious tasks are undertaken! As far as the remaining media coverage is concerned; I was appalled to hear Mr Paxman suggest that it may be 'undignified'. If anything, Mr & Mrs MacCann should be encouraged and praised for their initiative and enterprise. Further, I would like to see them travel to every country in the world and be televised in the process whilst supported rather than criticised. If just one child is returned safely, any effort made will have been worthwhile.

I dont see a problem with keeping media interest high if they didnt the media would have moved on to another story weeks ago,but what i dont agree with is with a story in the sun today showing were the bar the parents were in, as if to justify leaving children alone in their hotel room.

RE :364

Ella,

Woo touch a nerve did I???

My point is that the media is too soft on the Mcanns, they have been negligent as parents and a small child has paid the price. The parents should be punished, not glorified in the press as hero's.

'All those reporters are used to dealing with the incoherent wailing of the council estates'

Hardly. The high profile child abduction cases such as the McGanns, Holly & Jessica, Sarah Payne have all been upper middle class kids from the South of England. When my neighbour (9 yeal old Welsey Nealey from Fenham Newcastle) was abducted and murdered by an 18 year old paedophile it didn't even make the national news.

Its amazing the amount of coverage this case has got. My hearts go out to the family but its getting silly. In one article today it mentions a case of a spanish child taken from holiday elsewhere and yet I can't find links to this in 大象传媒 news at all. Surely highlighting the plight of all is worth while.

With the Iraq war and Blair's demise a jolly good time to release bad news again..and again....and again..ad infinitum..

The anguish that the parents must be going through is unimaginable. Their motives are understandable and in similar circumstances, we'd all do the same.

Although, without wishing to appear callous or insensitive, I feel that the all round general reaction is completely over the top.

To have Sky's and the 大象传媒's rolling news stations being presented from Praia da Luz with non-stop saturation coverage, as well as the amount of pages in the national newspapers, was/is ridiculous. The press encouraging us into a situation like the mass, national, hysterical mourning at Princess Diana's funeral.

Can we expect the same level of coverage with the Pope availing himself and Prime Ministers making statements of support every time another child goes missing?

And let's not be deflected from the main issue. Kate and Gerry McCann's behaviour was irresponsible and should be condemned. What sort of parents would leave children of that age unattended?

I feel sad and hopeful for the fate of that little girl, but let's keep a sense of proportion.

I think it is absolutely right that we all have sympathy with this family in a time of great distress for them, regardless of any view as to their own behaviour.

However, I have serious misgivings about the media involvement, and the extent to which they and the family are so closely connected.

It is almost certain that there are many things going on behind the media coverage that we have yet to see or hear.

How much "digging for dirt" is going on in their local Leicester area, for instance, and being filed away for when they feel it more "appropriate" to use?

Please people, spare a thought for the thousands of missing children up and down the country who haven't had this media saturation. Don't they deserve our thoughts and police focus too?

For Once the Medias are actually doing something right in diffusing Maddie picture and raising awareness. Much better than dishing out on prime time the latest sex acrobatics of Football players or some other celebs.

For all the comments that are negative I wish each of you to think for 30 seconds how you would feel in this situation.

If the media continues for the next 10 years to get this little girl back then this is what is needed.

Perhaps if Madeline is found a people smuggling ring may be found, hence saving other children.

The critisism of the police on this matter has been quitened by the McCanns, because quite frankly they are in no position to criticise.

The parents now need to choose their publicity carefully and in a targetted way. At the moment it seems like the parents plight is more important than anything else in the world.(whilst tragic - its clearly not warrented all the coverage it has got)

Its exactly this selfish thinking that led to them going out to the local and leaving the kids to their fate in the first place.

I would like to see the fund set up - used to set up some kind of media centre all such cases can use, and not again be selfishly used by the McCanns for the McCanns alone.

I presume they are still being payed the 200k or so, 2 doctors would recieve from the NHS annually,this they can use however they see fit. If only they had used their own considerable resources to provide care for their child in the first place.

I have to admit the excessive media coverage of this case is making me feel very uneasy.
While I desperately hope Madeleine is found safe and well, my fear is that it will come to light that Madeleine simply wandered out of the apartment on her own looking for her missing parents.
If this comes to light, the public and media backlash against the McGanns will be horrendous.

Although the McCanns' heartache should be more private, they have a duty to fight for their daughter's safety.

Only those with no parental feelings would accuse the McCanns of going too far. And the few suggesting charging them have completely lost track.

The press is commendable for maintaining the pressure, at least we dont have to read and watch about dogs' weddings. And the more public figures step in, the better.

May this tragedy highlight the fate of all suffering children the world over. Abductions, diseases, hunger, sexual exploitations, war, they all kill our young society.

Whoever took this child took advantage of the fact that she had been left unattended. The McCanns are therefore guilty at least of contributory negligence, and their frenzy of activity seems to reflect this realisation. Sadly, she is probably already dead and, if she had been abducted by paedophiles, that might be preferable to the alternative. I feel deeply sorry for the McCanns, but sooner or later they are going to have to face the reality of the outcome of their choices, go home, and live the rest of their lives.

This is exactly the kind of thing the media should focus on with the sole aim of finding Madeline and bringing her home, whatever it takes

It makes me wonder whether the parents of the hundreds of other children who go missing don't care as much or if these sorts of cases get more coverage simply because she is a sweet young girl.

Oh how I feel for the parents and family of this child, but what I really dont understand is why this one case is getting so much media coverage when hundreds of children go missing each year.

the media coverage is quite justified. all you need to imagine is that its your child, you would want all the help you could get, and more! the bbc and all broadcasters surply the information the public want to see, this is one such case.

Every child who goes missing should be getting this much coverage. Who ever feels uneasy about it should think about how they would feel and what they would do if it was their child who had been abducted.

I think the McCanns are using the media as a fantastic tool to help them find their little girl.

The McCanns make me sick, not only did they leave their kids alone in a foreign country, they continue to ignore their two remaining kids whilst galavanting around Europe.

Any self-respecting parents who found themselves in this sort of situation as a result of their own omissions would firstly admit responsibility and secondly not let their other kids out of theie sight for a minute.

I also wonder whether the media (or the police for that matter) would have given this amount of coverage to an abducted child of working class parents living on a council estate back home.

Something is making me feel a little uneasy about this, but I can't quite put my finger on it. There does seem to be a disproportionly large amount of coverage of this case.

I understand they are doing everything they can to get their daughter back. But, if I was going to be synical about this I would point out that if a working class family had gone next door to the pub, that the coverage wouldn't have been quite so favourable.

However, when Madelaine is (hopefully) found safe and well. If they were to still be constantly in the media, I'm afraid that my concerns would have been justified.

The facts are they left 3 young children alone in a foreign country, to go and enjoy a meal. When you have children it is these things you have to forego until they are older or you have suitable babysitters. No excuses, they were out of order. However, its the little girl we should be concerned with and I pray she is returned safe and well. But if I see her mother parading around with the child's toy one more time I will scream. They look so stage managed in everything they do, and the level of publicity is now sickening. Keep the up the profile of the case by all means, but private jets, celebrities and publicised visits to the pope is just too much. Its a pity they didn't think of the possible outcome of their irresponsible actions in the first place.

The media circus is being perpetuated by the family through guilt. They left the child in a vulnerable position, one that they would not have left her in at home, and the absolute worst-case scenario has happened. As soon as the papers lose interest in the main story, there will be uncomfortable questions asked.

I admire the McCannes'tireless efforts to find their daughter. It is right to go on reminding the public of Madeleine's disappearance but I wish the media would speculate less and be less judgemental.`````````

`

Of course we want Madeline to be found safely and returned to her parents. NOONE here is saying otherwise. I don't have an issue that so much coverage has been given for this child, but i, along with everyone i've spoken to has asked - What about all the other missing kids???

Another thing that has worried us - with so much coverage and SO much attention drawn to Madeline's features in the hope we will easily recognise her - have we driven whoever abducted her underground? They will have realised they cannot take her out anywhere anymore as she will be instantly recognised.

Whilst out and about I have heard a lot of people mention saturation point and that they turn the news off if if the McCann's are mentioned.

Their hearts go out to the little girl, but they feel that the parents should go home with the twins and 'work' from there. I am afraid that if this poor little mite is still alive she won't be for long with all this publicity.

They were wrong to leave three under 4's alone. They didn't know she would be taken, but what if there had been a fire. And at the end of the day little Maddie would have been responsible for the twins.

As someone on another board said. You wouldn't leave your purse full of money on your hotel bed and go out. So how come it's OK to leave your children?

At the end of the day the McCann's are using whatever means necessary to try and find their child and who could blame them - however much of an outrageously ridiculous decision it was for them to have left the three children alone in the apartment that fateful evening only they will know and feel the guilt that is now obviously weighing heavily down on them. My only problem with this is that had this case concerned a single mother of non-white origin I can only imagine the comments that would appear in the media - I think we could safely say that they wouldn't be polite or supportive! We should place the same importance on all children in society but we don't and this is my problem with the whole issue - I hope Madeline is found safe and well and her parents never make the same mistake again!

Thee's an awful lot of unsympathetic people on here....glad they're not my friends!

I think the coverage on Madeleine is good, not just for the McCanns, but because it is bringing to the fore a subject that goes unreported each day of every month of every year.

And to Madeleine's parents' I just want her to be returned to you, unharmed and in good spirits. I want to open my paper or see on the news that beautiful's child's face light up as she sees her family again It doesn't matter what it takes to azchieve it.

Funny how no one has mentioned , in the press or otherwise, that the family left the children on thier own. If it was a single mother im sure the papers would be baying at the door looking for the remaining children to be taken off this woman. One rule for the educated..

Please stop covering this case. It is no longer news.

It is not the function of the news media to run missing person investigations. Far less is it appropriate to focus on one missing child amongst all those who disappear daily throughout the world, to the untold grief of their families.

The media is both being manipulated by the McCann family, and pandering to a mawkish public sentimentality.

Most disturbingly, the media continue to derelict balanced public interest journalism by choosing not to comment on the very real issues of parental duty and responsibility that could have prevented this dreadful event.

If I had neglected to take proper care of my children I would hide my head in shame but sell my own house to fund searching for my child before asking for money to fund a couple of spin doctors to put a good slant on the story and how I had said the shutters had been 'jimmied' open when really the child has woke to find herself alone and wandered off to find mummy and daddy and been snatched in the street not abducted by an intruder from the apartment.

The parents of the missing child (oh, alright then, media superstar 'Maddy') are, at the very least, culpable because of their contributory negligence. Their three children were left ALONE, UNATTENDED AND UNSUPERVISED at night. And now look what's happened! They should thank their 'god' (even though they are supposed to be people of science) that ALL THREE of their children weren't abducted.

May I remind all the cynical people out there that Madeleine is a British Citizen and she is only four years old. Just because you are not interested in this news story does not mean no one else is. I have been following the events closely because I have a three year old grandson and can sympathise with the McCann鈥檚. They have been criticised for leaving their children unattended but every parent takes their eye off the ball sometimes. It is hard work looking after three young children under five 24/7. All they wanted was a couple of hours down time. They probably were lulled into a false sense of security which often happens when people are on holiday. You let your guide down. They are good parents and do not deserve to be going through the nightmare they have been thrown into. They need our support and sympathy not mean and nasty criticism.

I feel for the parents but the fact of the matter is that children go missing all the time all across the globe, the media are treating this like its an isolated occurance that does not normally happen and are giving families the idea that if this were to happen to them they would get this kind of media help, which just isn't the case. They should instead focus on was of raising awareness of the issue so that parents will be more aware that it could happen and as such will look out for it that much more.

How exactly has all the media coverage helped? The girl is still missing. Mind you all the reporters are having a fine time in the sun

I haven't even got past the first comment before my blood boils at some people's ignorance.
Rob, if they are so superior with them being 'well-educated and well-connected', how the hell did they come to leave three children alone in an apartment while they went out to dinner?
The media's biggest problem is the shock over the fact that people who should really know better did such an abhorrent thing. The media usually expect this type of thing from those who come from council estates. When I first heard the story I thought, some chav scum had forgotten their responsibilities and now they've gone a lost a child. When I heard their respective professions I was dumbstruck.
I hope with all the will in the world that she's safe and well. But I tell you something they are a disgrace, especially considering their professional status.
I know some people will complain about this post (whatever happened to freedom of speach) but you tell me, if it had been someone from a council estate don't you think the media and authorities would be baying for their blood for allowing the circumstances to happen in the first place?
Strangely quiet because they are respectable and well connected.

I think that they should be given every chance and for once the media has done what the people want. This coverage is surely making the perpetrator uneasy. Even if he has no feelings it will make him aware of the majority of the world feel about his sort.
The McCann's have my total support for what they are doing. They have my total sympathy and I can't talk about this is such an object way or judge. It's too important. GOOD ON YOU MEDIA. It has given me hope that you have a heart - KEEP IT UP.

To Keith's comment, #323. You're right, people cannot watch their children 24/7, but they can hire someone to watch them if they go out to dinner. YOU DON'T LEAVE SMALL CHILDREN UNATTENDED!!! SOMEONE needs to watch them. And you should not assume that people with that view don't have children. I do not know anyone with children who have ever left their toddlers alone - EVER! People's action cause reactions. We all need to be responsible or pay the price. Poor Madeleine has paid the price for her parents' neglect. She's gone and statistics show that she will not be found. I hope that is wrong and she will be found safely, but it is doubtful. The restaurant is not close to their room (please look at the map and review the facts). The media attention is not in the US. I just heard of this case 2 days ago and started doing research to see if I really heard correctly that they left these small children alone to go to dinner. I wonder what kind of proof there is that an abduction took place? Also, I know everyone shows grief in their own way, but I have not seen much grief in the interviews I have watched online. I have not even seen much emotion from the parents. I find that odd, but hey that's me. I also find it odd to leave children unattended.

The constant refrain in the press and tv that "Nobody watches their kids 24 hours a day, it's just not possible"- oh, ok so let's get this right, it's ok to go on holiday and leave your kids alone at 10pm locked in a room and just check on them every half hour. This excuse, and that's what it is, is just absurd. What were they thinking??

Of course,this is a terrible and tragic event that has befallen the McCann's and my heart goes out to little Maddie but any other parents from a less "advantaged" background would have been crucified in the press by now. The 大象传媒 has been way over the top in the coverage - why not at leat use this to raise the awareness of all the other children that are missing?

How many other children/young people have gone missing in recent weeks? Why isn't the media following up these cases as well? It maybe that the McCann's are running a perfectly judged campaign here but what about everyone else?

While I feel awful about Madeline and her family, I do not think that the story should continue to make national news.

"My only problem with this is that had this case concerned a single mother of non-white origin I can only imagine the comments that would appear in the media..."
-Emma

I feel that statement is entirely correct. I also echo the feelings of others that there are many children who are sadly stolen from their parents or guardians each year, and that- while I understand the efforts of this girl's family- it simply isn't what should be the national focus right now.

Have we forgotten the occupation of Iraq? The conditions forcing Hmong and Somalian people from their homes? Mass starvation? Rajasthan?

Nice professional couple leave child alone. Child is abducted. Media frenzy. World wide search begins. Ordinary Joe and Mrs Joe leave child alone. Child is abducted. Couple face barrage of condemnation for leaving child alone. Child becomes just another statistic. As the Americans say "go figure".

"Everyone will sympathise with the McCanns鈥� plight"

No. I sympathise with the poor little girl who had a right to expect due care and protection from her parents, but instead was left alone to be taken by god knows who. I'm not going to waste my sympathy on her morally and criminally negligent parents.

I think that they should be given every chance and for once the media has done what the people want. This coverage is surely making the perpetrator uneasy. Even if he has no feelings it will make him aware of the majority of the world feel about his sort.
The McCann's have my total support for what they are doing. They have my total sympathy and I can't talk about this is such an object way or judge. It's too important. GOOD ON YOU MEDIA. It has given me hope that you have a heart - KEEP IT UP.

I think that they should be given every chance and for once the media has done what the people want. This coverage is surely making the perpetrator uneasy. Even if he has no feelings it will make him aware of the majority of the world feel about his sort.
The McCann's have my total support for what they are doing. They have my total sympathy and I can't talk about this is such an object way or judge. It's too important. GOOD ON YOU MEDIA. It has given me hope that you have a heart - KEEP IT UP.

I am utterly stunned at the callous comments on here about the parents and the fact people are sick of the coverage.

To those people who feel this way I would just mention that I hold you in the utmost contempt.

This is a nightmare situation and the McCann's must do everything to ensure Madeline is kept in the limelight. Especially in view of the fact that the Portugese Police are looking increasingly directionless when it comes to the investigation.

Furthermore, the media are partly responsible for the delay in finding Madeline by diverting the investigation to Robert Murat, who never seemed to be more that a Walter Mitty type character.

I'm actually surprised that the 大象传媒 has a petition for Alan Johnson, who knew the risk he was taking living in Palestine and yet nothing similar for Madeline.

PETER
Re post 405

"Frankly you should be able to eat your dinner 100 metres away from your sleeping child without a paedophile climbing through the window. "

Frankly, you look like you're saying you should be able to leave your kids and have your dinner elsewhere without them waking up in a strange, unlocked apartment, wandering off to look for mum and dad and stumbling into the swimming pool that lies between the tapas bar and thre apartment.
Paedophiles aren't the only reasons you shouldn't leave kids on their own you know.

This media attention is for the sake of all the children suffering the same fate as this little girl. Who knows by bringing this issue to the attention of the world then maybe the consciousness of society will be directed away from the trivia and "media" garbage that covers the lives of celebrities. The daily meal of insanity that we are "drip feed" regarding the trash that governs the superficial nonsense of their pathetic lives shrinks into oblivion in the light of this most important case. God knows how much money passes hands in the absurd debate around what celebrity is doing what. What greater cause is there than to save the life of a child? The overriding need is to find this little girl. What better way is there to spend the media's dosh.

How refreshing that the 大象传媒 and other media mediums have devoted such energy to a worthwhile cause. Maybe the fact that the public have been so captivated by this story is purely because it has some real human content. The utter loss and suffering of the parents of this most unfortunate child. Their pain has become an icon of of universal recognition for any parent who has lost a child irrespective of how one's child may have suffered.

Shout it out loud until she is found, in the end that's all it's about. And let these sick characters who perpetrate these crimes be exposed for the seedy perverse weirdos that they are. Children are the future and what ever is necessary to protect them, we as adults should harness. This coverage is a voice in the widerness for all the parents who have lost someone close to them.

There must be thousands of children who are never seen or heard of again, the dreadful pain and loss of all those parents is galvanized by this case. And if it means the public are more vigilant towards childen then the whole media coverage has been worth it's weight in gold. The sickness of these characters is in the fact that they rely on secrecy and lack of media coverage to prey on their victims, exposure is there worst nightmare like daylight is for count Dracula.

Let the spotlight of the world expose them and their disgusting pastimes, and hopefully they will crawl back down into the filthy sewers from where they came from. What words do you use to describe these people. Let the media keep this most important of issues alive until this child is found. I have two daughters myself so this comment is not just a reactionary rant but a real heartfelt expression from a parent to another parent/s. To the father and mother of this child may your daughter be returned to you unharmed. To the perpetrators, by commiting this hideous crime you cease to be part of the human race.

This media attention is for the sake of all the children suffering the same fate as this little girl. Who knows by bringing this issue to the attention of the world then maybe the consciousness of society will be directed away from the trivia and "media" garbage that covers the lives of celebrities. The daily meal of insanity that we are "drip feed" regarding the trash that governs the superficial nonsense of their pathetic lives shrinks into oblivion in the light of this most important case. God knows how much money passes hands in the absurd debate around what celebrity is doing what. What greater cause is there than to save the life of a child? The overriding need is to find this little girl. What better way is there to spend the media's dosh.

How refreshing that the 大象传媒 and other media mediums have devoted such energy to a worthwhile cause. Maybe the fact that the public have been so captivated by this story is purely because it has some real human content. The utter loss and suffering of the parents of this most unfortunate child. Their pain has become an icon of of universal recognition for any parent who has lost a child irrespective of how one's child may have suffered.

Shout it out loud until she is found, in the end that's all it's about. And let these sick characters who perpetrate these crimes be exposed for the seedy perverse weirdos that they are. Children are the future and what ever is necessary to protect them, we as adults should harness. This coverage is a voice in the widerness for all the parents who have lost someone close to them.

There must be thousands of children who are never seen or heard of again, the dreadful pain and loss of all those parents is galvanized by this case. And if it means the public are more vigilant towards childen then the whole media coverage has been worth it's weight in gold. The sickness of these characters is in the fact that they rely on secrecy and lack of media coverage to prey on their victims, exposure is there worst nightmare like daylight is for count Dracula.

Let the spotlight of the world expose them and their disgusting pastimes, and hopefully they will crawl back down into the filthy sewers from where they came from. What words do you use to describe these people. Let the media keep this most important of issues alive until this child is found. I have two daughters myself so this comment is not just a reactionary rant but a real heartfelt expression from a parent to another parent/s. To the father and mother of this child may your daughter be returned to you unharmed. To the perpetrators, by commiting this hideous crime you cease to be part of the human race.

Publicity for the child is fine, but the parents should stay in the background, there is nothing to be gained by them travelling across Europe in private jets, and being invited to stay at the official residence of the British Ambassador in Rome , nor to be filmed meeting the Pope, if they wanted to see the Pope that's fine, but for what purpose was this filmed and shown on TV, it certainly would not help finding Madelaine, they should show some modesty, stay in the background, and let the respective police forces
including Interpol get on with the job of finding the girl, their next stop is Madrid, what are they going to do there, walking the streets looking for Madelaine? by all accounts they will carry on travelling across Europe, and maybe further with the TV crews in tow, it will serve no purpose, they should return to England, learn their lesson, look after the twins, normalise their live as best as they can, and with the help of the British Embassy in Portugal, let the police forces get on with it, that and only that will bring results.

At this stage, it is unlikely publicity is helpful - even assuming Madeleine is alive & the publicity doesn't drive her captor to murder, anyone who was going to come forward would've surely already done so. Coverage in Britain is particularly futile as it is the last place an abductor would be likely to take her.
The media circus has been fed, ultimately, by the profitablility of the ghoulish voyeurism of a segment of the public. To state the blatantly obvious, if this hadn't been the photogenic, blonde daughter of upper-middle class, Christian, anglosaxon professionals from Southern England but, say, the son of a black, lower class, single mother the media would've completely ignored the case and the mother would probably have been charged with neglect.

The McCanns have more media coverage then the Beckhams. It has become ridiculous! The search for Madeline has become a media circus to the point I have stopped watching any of it. The McCanns were irresponsible to leave their children unattended when there were child-minding and baby-sitting services available. Sadly, their daughter has paid the price and the media is profiting from all this. Thousands of children are being abducted all over the world and they unfortunately do not have rich, influential parents and a celebrity fund in their favour. My only hope is Madeline is alive and will be found as all efforts seem to be foucused on how much publicity her parents can get.

My sympathy goes to the dear mother of Ben Needham who must feel all this media coverage was not carried out for her and little Ben some 17 years ago. Her loss was swept under the carpet within days.

This is the only news story i have ever had turn the channel or turn my head to not watch. I just cant handle when I see Madeleine McCann picure. I have a daugther and niece that are the same age as her and everytime I even see Madeleine McCann I freeze up. I dont know what it all is , disgust , fright, Anger, helplessness, shame. Pretty sad coming from a grown man but if we cant protect the Madeleine McCann of the world what kinda of human race are we. I pray for her everyday and everyone else should as well.

I don't know that 'everybody sympathises with the McCann's plight'. While I certainly sympathise with Madeleine's plight, I can't help but think what the press and public reaction would have been if it had been a working class family that had fallen victim. I can see the newspaper headlines and 'Home Alone' and 'Neglect' would almost certainly have featured.
The European Grand Tour now being undertaken by the McCanns at other peoples expense strikes me as somewhat obscene.

Couple of points.If they are so well educated and well connected how come they did not get a baby sitter?Remember what happened a few years ago here in France?a young English girl was raped and murdered while sleeping in room with several other girls,my point is that anything can happen and no parent should leave their children alone especially in a foreign country,they are said to have been nearby at a restaurant but not able to see their apartment,now a circus has been created,a book to follow?maybe a movie?I really hope the girl is ok a

I do believe that the publicity over Madeleine is appropriate; only today we read of how Gerry and Kate have made reference to other missing children on the European continentand expressed a hope that they too will be found safe and well. The sanctimonious chatter from those who decry the efforts of Kate and Gerry only goes to reflec the shallowness of society, a society who thrives on the claptrap of soaps, on the insidious Big Brother syndrome abd other realliity TV shows. At least Madeleine's story is real, live and happening in a real world where some people do care about the value of life, prayer, hope, real communication and use their talents to try to find someone they love and not bleat over how tired they are of Madeleine's absence and the ensuing publicity. If they care about human life, they should celebrate the efforts being made to find Madeleine and other missing people of all ages. So join in and use technology to make the world aware of what is happening - sne e-mails to friends and relatives abroad and include a picture of the one crucial characteristic that makes Madeleine stand out - her right eye - see it on www.FindMadeleine.com. The mother of Ben Needham is quoted as saying that he too would have used today's technology and media coverage if it had been around when Ben went missing and she too knows what Kate, Gerry and other unknown parents are going through.

I think, enough publicity has been done with the wide range of media interest. It is now going a bit overboard with all the trip to differnet countries. My fear is that the extreme media interest may have made the kidnapper to do the unthoughtful with Madeline even if the kidnapper may have initally not thought of doing it. If thats the case(i really hope not) then the media and the McCanns' are to be blamed. Let the Police do their job without putting undue pressure on them- It has been highlighted enough to make a difference.

I'm sick of it and wondering what it is all about. Why the Pope?
If the child is found in a church as the parents seem to be hoping what will the coverage be like then? What sort of money will the media make then?
What sort of people leave THREE kids alone in a strange place while they go dinner? Imagine if that had been some kid on council estate how much sympathy would the parents get? None I suspect! Will social services be on to them?

Until Madeleine is found,every effort MUST be made to keep her in the public eye.
As a mother of 4 daughters,I'd give my all and more to find my child.
How can anyone judge these courageous,desperate parents for using the media;even if they stayed indoors and said nothing,the media would be on their doorstep waiting for any snippet.
I applaud them and hope that their nightmare ends soon.
The critics should ask themselves what lengths they would go to,if they ever found themselves in their position!

I feel terrible for this child. It is unfortunate that her parents chose to have dinner away from the children and leave them alone. The parents were out of touch with reality. I won't say anything else disparaging about the parents no matter what I think in private.
I just wish this much attention would be put on other missing children. This girl is a cute little blonde white girl, need I say more.
My prayers go out to all parents of missing children.

What's wrong with these complainers.
Have they no empathy/
Can't they imagine what it feels like to lose a child?
They should be ashamed of themselves for complaining.

I feel terrible for this child. It is unfortunate that her parents chose to have dinner away from the children and leave them alone. The parents were out of touch with reality. I won't say anything else disparaging about the parents no matter what I think in private.
I just wish this much attention would be put on other missing children. This girl is a cute little blonde white girl, need I say more.
My prayers go out to all parents of missing children.

In response to the comment by Meg Smith.
Are you saying that their punishment(abduction of their daughter) is fitting for their 'crime'?

This isn't about class,this isn't about them as people:
This is about a 4yr old girl who's been abducted & missing for 4 weeks!

Give that little girl some thought & stop attacking her parents; no one can punish them anymore than they will for the rest of their lifes.

I've just been reviewing the daily reports about this case on the 大象传媒 web site. Initially we were told that they found that the windows had been jemmied and the door unlocked while they were several hundred yards away, and that they checked on the children every half hour.

How long does it take to walk several hundred yards, twice (there and back), is it possible to do the trip every thirty minutes when so much time must have been spent walking? Why do the say they carried out checks regularly? Because they knew it was inappropriate to leave three very small children.

Later we are told that they were taking it in turns to check on the children every hour and that she was last seen at 2100 Hrs, then was absent at 2200 Hrs.
Now it appears that the room was unlocked so there was no need to jemmy a window.

Is there any evidence to show that she was actually abducted? Is it possible that she simply woke up and walked out? Has she a history of waking up and getting out of bed to go to see her parents? If she was abducted why were the other two not taken as well? If she was distressed by an abductor why didn't the other two children wake up?

We are also told that British Child Abduction experts have flown to Portugal to join in the hunt. I can imagine what the British Police would say if some Portuguese police turned up in the UK to help in an investigation. I doubt it would be very welcoming.
We also have John McCann saying"If you look at the layout of that place, it was entirely safe" - well it clearly wasn't safe was it?
The grandmother, Susan Healy, gave out information which the police had chosen not to share with the general public. The detail that she gave, about her faulty iris, made the child too identifiable for an abductor who may have taken her with the intention of letting her grow up with them. This information made it more of a risk to be seen with her, endangering the child's life.

I conclude therefore that this publicity campaign may do more harm than good. Let the police do their work unhindered by people who have no experience in these matters.

it's fully understandable that people in such a desperate situation use every means if there's just the slightest bit of hope. So nothing wrong with the parents taking advantage of the media hype in the UK. I am disappointed however by the British public and media. Although it's rare that children disappear, as we are 6 billion people around the globe, there's still thousands or more missing children I guess. I can't see why one child should get all the attention. There are children missing in the UK! But Britons feel entertained by the case because it happened abroad. People here love stereotypes and most of all the love it to depict others as somehow less capable and non Anglo-Saxon cultures as sort of underdeveloped, believing there own was superior to that of others. What a joke! In this case this sort of rubbish in people's minds even led the 大象传媒 to post the BREAKING NEWS that a grandparent of the missing child had criticized the Portuguese Police.

Question how is David Beckham going to help find madeline, i have sympathy for the child not the parents, they shouldn't haven't left her what about all the cildren missing all the time whos going to help them? Too much media coverage, and when is the pope going to go search for madeline anytime soon?

I just thank goodness for satellite TV and the web. I can watch EuroNews, Russian and China TV, and Al Jazeera. Compared to them, the 大象传媒 has definitely been dumbed down immensely, hence the constant emphasis on stories like this one. Unless the 大象传媒 reverts to serious stories and proper news, it no longer deserves to be funded by the taxpayer.

378 might have been "appalled by Jeremy Paxman", but I thought he covered this issue excellently. How he managed to keep cool when Kelvin Mackenzie was being completely irrational and making aggressive gestures to B Campbell, I do not know. B Campbell's analysis of the media frenzy was absolutely right. The media attention is no longer about the child. And what about the McCann's other children? How available are the parents to them? Surely during this time of trauma for the family, the one thing these children need is stability and consistency..., back home with their parents - not flying around various countries and spending inordinate amounts of time in creches in foreign countries.
369 doesn't like the references to "white middle class" but doesn't say why. It seems that many people, despite being comfortable talking about disadvantaged groups, are not comfortable talking about the 'advantaged' and white middle class people are certainly privileged in our society. 370, Gary McGhee's comment is spot on (he hasn't used the 'white middle class' term Karen, but he does use middle class. Is this offensive to you also Karen? Is it coz u is white or is coz u is white and middle class? Or possibly worse..., aspiring middle class? I suspect you might enjoy 364 Ella's little rant). 381 is an excellent posting, backing up the point that working class children who are missing are overlooked by the media. Middle class children seem to be valued more by the press. 388, Stuart Smith would be happy for the media to continue for the next ten years to get "this little girl back". That makes you sound very sympathetic, but what about the hundreds of other missing children? Do you want them all in the media? We know that would be unrealistic. So what you've got to ask yourself how much attention should be devoted to one missing child when hundreds of others need a share of that attention. Or does Stuart think that this child is more important than the others and deserves more press coverage?
394 Mark Loader wonders "whether the parents of the hundreds of other children go misisng don't care as much". Don't you realise that it is only because the McCann's have so much cultural capital (not to mention financial cappital) that they have so much access to this amount of media coverage? I am sure that any parent would want publicity IF it could help find their child. To suggest that the thousands of parents (over the years) who have not received media attention is because they don't care about their children is malicious. Mark's alternative 'reasoning' is that Madeleine is getting more support because she is a "sweet young girl". Is he suggesting that that the hundreds of other young girls who have gone missing are not sweet?

How many parents of missing children have been able to afford to take so much time off work? Is this fund, that is being made available to the McCann's, being used to pay the NHS costs to supply locum doctors etcetera whilst the McCann's are off work? How much is it costing taxpayers to fund this sabbatical for the McCann's? I know that you can't put a price on a child, but are the McCann's reimbursing the NHS for the cost of their leave. I, as a taxpayer, do not have a problem in supporting families in need, but I do have a problem when the tax is being used indiscriminately to target support to those who need it least. Most parents who have lost children have had no option but to return to work immediately. It's nice for the McCann's t be able to take such long leave, but only if they are actually paying for it. Would taxpayers be happy to pay the costs of all parents on similar leave, even if they had menial jobs with poor pay?
The McCann's have to move on from this media frenzy. Keeping the story alive doesn't keep their child alive. It keeps them in an emotional limbo when they should be putting all their energies into being emotionally available for the children they have not lost.

Stories become yesterdays news very quickly these days except this one. I wonder what would have happened if the parents had been working class and not very good at keeping it in the media spotlight. Children go missing but none to my knowledge have had this amount of publicity. In case anybody is not aware there are other problems in the world.

they are getting more sympathy than they actually deserve.
they left thier 3 young children unattended,if they werent white proffessional people they would be prosecuted for child neglect.
what is more irratating is thier family has held out the begging bowl to aid thier search,these are well paid doctors who were staying in a luxury resort who were too tight fisted to pay for the babysitting service the resort provided.
they are stupidly arragent/selfish people who have virtualy stopped short of blaming themselves for this tradgedy,they put there own holiday enjoyment before the safety of thier children.
and before you think anything of my comments i am a white father of two young children myself, i want little maddy found safe & well,her parents are becoming celebs for all the wrong reasons and should be ashamed of thier blatent media manipulation and taking advantage of the rich persons who are jetting them arround europe.

Why are some people posting such cold-hearted comments? The fact is that they DID leave their children on their own and will have to live with that decision for the rest of their lives. I will keep following the media coverage and will keep hoping and praying that their beautiful daughter will be found safe and sound. No doubt those with the cold-hearted comments have no children of their own?

I agree with Anita. While it is indeed quite an unfortunate thing to have happened to the McCann's, there is a certain "over exposure" that this case has received which brings up issues of class and race. I wonder if a missing child from a working class family would have been mentioned after a brief mention the 6 o'clock news.

I fail to understand the condemnation of the McCanns by many here! THIS IS ABOUT A 4yr OLD MISSING CHILD!
Yes,they made a mistake & boy they are paying the ultimate price.But ask yourselves, does their mistake warrant the abduction of their daughter.
When Holly & Jessica went missing in Soham,the media hype was consistent & high profile;did we all complain,no.
When a 5yr old was abducted from her own bath,did we complain about the massive media hype,no.
Thankfully,child abduction is rare in this country but thank god the parents have a public platform to use to help find their children.
As for them returning to work & the cost of locums etc,unbelievable!
Who'd want to see either of them for medical advice right now? I'd like my DR to have their mind on the job & not distracted!If my GP's child was missing,i'd not expect them to put their patients needs first,they are human beings,not robots!
This media hype is all for the return of their daughter;surely the critics here can have compassion for this innocent little girl.

I am pleased to see that some of the sentiments I feel about this case have been voiced by many others here.

When I first heard about the abduction, I was shocked and appalled, then angry, to learn that the 3 children had been left alone.

As someone who longs for children, but, so far, has been unable to have them due to a distressing gynaecological condition (and also, now, personal circumstances), I take an extremely dim view of people who have been lucky enough to have been blessed with children but do not look after them responsibly. As has been said many times in this discussion, the parents are intelligent and educated and are both doctors. They clearly wanted - and indeed had - the type of holiday that you can have when you don't have children, and I think this is selfish and wrong. People like that just want everything - they want children but are not prepared to change their lives to accommodate those children.

When my sister-in-law had her first child, she and my brother were living in a flat many floors up. My sister-in-law told me what a nuisance it was to take the rubbish out to the ground floor (there was no lift) and take the baby with her. I asked her if she was ever tempted to leave the baby whilst she did this, and she simply said 'Never. All it takes is for you to take your eye off them for a second.'

It goes without saying that I desperately hope that Madeleine will be found safe and well.

I sincerely hope this case sets a precedent as to how the media should handle missing children. Rather than intense media coverage which peters out after a period of time, pressure should be kept up by the public to find children until they are returned. In fact, I would endorse further publicity such as faces on cornflakes packet and milk cartons.
This intensive media campaign by Madeleine's parents is commendable. Whatever views are held in relation to their actions, they are trying to be pro-active. I really do not think I could find such strength in their situation.

Its very stressing for any parent to have to go through what maddies parents have gone through but its getting rediculas,The greive the parents are experencing has been brought on by themselves,To leave three small children alone to go and have a meal together is rediculas They shouldnt be leaveign their two babies at home and going to see the pope, they should be in court being charged with neglect.
There are 100s of children going missing every year,look at little ben for instance, you never heared this much about him. . . Its no good saying its easy to point the finger when possibly being in their shoes we might have done the same, i would strongly disagree with you, i am a mother of 5 children my youngest being 9,when they want to go out i go with them and sit on the bench while they play. there are to many weirdos out there to be leaveing children alone. Its disgusting the amount of money actually going into this, what is the moeny going towards? oh wait how else are the parents going to stay in luxury hotels. I suggest that if anyone is thinking of donateing any more money to this then,try donateing it to childline, because i seriously think that 拢72,000 and that doesnt include the donations on the website and bank transfers,is ample enough to support this case.

This is a media circus. Well-meaning people hundreds of miles away from the scene are not helping to 鈥榝ind Maddie,鈥� they are helping to sell tabloids, by keeping the story running. It鈥檚 bad enough that so few people seem to realize their emotions are being manipulated. Worse is the spectacle of celebs up to the Pope鈥攖he Pope for Pete鈥檚 sake鈥攃lambering aboard the publicity bandwagon. Sympathise in private, and leave the detective work to the detectives.

im sorry but none this would happend if the child wasnt left alone u taken them with u or stay with them in this day and age i dont feel sorry for the perants but for little madeline bless her i do how about little ben leedham no one ever done this for them i feel for them cuse he was only out side but to leave a child in bed a go for something to eat makes me mad how about the other children who gone missing they dont get all this and whos paying for them?

Don't worry, when Madeleine is found, those insensitive, bored people can go back to watching Big Brother.

It's disgraceful that anyone should question the media coverage. It's an abducted child we're talking about, for goodness sake. Parents will take any measure to get their child back. I, for one, would wish the same.

Put yourself in the parents' position, or your own if you were the abducted child!

I don't think there can ever be too much exposure when a child goes missing, and I feel desperately sorry for the McCann family, but I solidly agree with those who think that their children should never have been left alone in the first place. This opinion has been scorned by certain media personnel, but maybe this is what's wrong with British family life today. Did the parents not stop to think of the panic and alarm that any of their children might've felt had they woken up to find no mummy or daddy around? This could be considered neglectful in their own home - let alone in a strange place in a foreign country! When you go on holiday, your children are part of the "package", and you would've expected, that if leaving them was considered a necessity, that doctors could've afforded the price of a babysitter. Sorry - but it seems that a glass of wine & a meal with friends was more important, and whatever anyone says, I could never call this good parenting. I just hope little Maddie is soon found.

I'm not sure where people who are griping about the coverage of the Madleine McCann case are coming from. It is absolutely vital (and what sort of parent would you be if you sat back and waited for something to happen?) that her parents keep this case going so that maybe one day in some city or town in Germany, Spain, Holland...wherever - somebody says - having picked up on this news - didn't I hear a child crying last night? Should I be suspicious about some man arriving at a house with a child where there had been no child before? Please everyone remember the appalling cases where young children have been kidnapped and hidden in cellars - wouldn't more publicity have helped those children to be found sooner? The family's latest hope is to get some kind of cross continent discussion of missing children everywhere - there may be some common threads. Whoever took this little girl planned it very very carefully and will undoubtedly do this more than once. For God's sake let there be no more crass criticism of a family who would like nothing better than for none of this publicity to be necessary in the first place. What has happened to compassion and humanity?

I assume that you're going to be giving exactly the same treatment to all missing children and their families as you have given to the McCanns?
Sorry to say this, but this gross inequality IS going to lead to a backlash against Madeleine's parents! Obviously everyone wants Madeleine to be found, but a lot of people are getting sick of her parents' constant publicity stunts. Maybe all this publicity will help bring her back, but the parents have completely sold their souls to the media. They have made a pact with the devil.

How holier than thou some of these comments are. The McCanns made a mistake which they will regret for the rest of their lives, whether or not Madeleine is returned to them. Every parent makes mistakes, some will have no consequences, and some will have ghastly, life-changing consequences, like this one.

However, let's not lose sight of the fact that the only person to blame in this desperately sad case is the evil monster who took Madeleine from her bed. Please remember that.

My heart goes out to the parents as l am one myself, but l do wonder what would have been said if it had been a single mother who had left 3 young children in a room while she went out for a meal, what if there had been a fire? or one of the smaller children had chocked? would social services have been waiting to interview the mother ??

My heart goes out to Madeleine, but not her parents.

What on earth were they thinking, leaving 2 Two year olds and a Three year old in an apartment on their own.

Portugal is safer than the UK but nowhere is a haven, we have four children and they were never out of our sight until they were teenagers.

Apart from abduction what about fire and why did they not make use of the free baby watch facility if they needed to get away without the children.

The Portugese are very family orinated people, children of all ages accompany parents and grandparents to cafes in the evening.

heres one to think abbout mr macann came back to uk but mrs macann wouldnt couse she didnt want to leave the twins so why did she leave them with her sister when she went to see the pope? mmmmm

now traveling all over yet wont come back here

if it been anyone us over here we would been pulled straight in by socail services leaveing children alone i cant stop thinking about little madaline i really hope she is ok same as ben leedham and thousands of other children

While I sincerely hope this child is found safe and sound, I put full blame on the negligence of the parents.

Also, it's glaringly obvious that this case is getting an inordinate amount of coverage because 1. her parents have money 2. she is white, pretty and very young. Thousands of children get kidnapped every day or are sold by their parents. Nobody cares because these children are non-whites and/or poor.

i think the whole case is now in danger of just being a big 'media circus'. i understand the need to make it high profile but i think that everyone is already aware of the whole situation so what would more coverage of it do?

They went out enjoying themselves and left three small children unattended! I feel sorry for the little girl for what is happening to her - not for them.

They are turning themselves into a media show and no doubt in the future will make vast sums writing books about all this. Two doctors should have known better. Had they been of a different social category would we be feeling so sorry for them. It was child neglect that led to the possibility of abduction - no doubt their nightly behaviour of leaving the children alone had been noted.

Here in Canada there is much shock and disbelief that the police have not acted quicker in apprehending the person who abducted the child - there must have been clues - As for the Pope and others intervening - anyone that can help in any way should.

I have read many messages regarding the disappearence of Madeleine MacCann, and i have found myself asking one question...why Madeleine? Why not the child of Mr & Mrs Ordinary??? The answer i fear is simple and quite alarming; Madeleine's parents are of a high professional standing and therefore exist in a higher class. I have read that 450 children have disappeared since Madeleline disappearence, but not one has been documented in the media, is this what our society had become? A society where social standing is more important than the safetly of a child!
Just imagine for a moment that parents who lived in an underprivilaged area of any major city, and would be considered by the media as working class, had left their three children, one three year old and twins of one and a half, unattended and asleep in their beds while they travelled 10 minutes to a restaurant, sat, ate dinner, drank wine and enjoyed the company of friends, while their eldest child was being abducted from the bed where she slept...would the media have acted in the same way towards these parents as they have towards Madeleline's parents? The probable answer is no! The media would have asked the questions that should be asked...why were three children of such a young age left unattended? And why were the left unattended when there were facilities available where they could have been supervised?
I sincerely hope and pray for the sake return of Madeleine and all children who have been taken from there families...but i fear that if Madeleine is not found safe the media will turn on their heels and ask her parents the question that should be asked...Why?????

Why is everyone (well not quite everyone but a lot of you) so intent on placing blame? OK it's happened, and I'm sure that the McCanns were the first to blame themselves, for such a huge mistake. You're taling about media circus, media frenzy, over-kill - but tell me this - if you were the parent of an abducted child, wouldn't you do exactly the same as they have done? Wouldn't you do everything within your power to get your little girl back, even if it meant travelling to every country in the world, talking to every world leader or politican, accepting an invitiation to get the Pope's blessing, and literally scouring the world and its resources to get your child back from the evil monster who took her?

No I don't think the media coverage is too much - let's applaud the McCanns for their dignity, their bravery and their dedication and resources.

As for criticisms about further strain on the NHS since they are not yet returning to work - no doubt they have been signed off sick and are entitled to sick pay in the same way as anyone else who is suffering extreme stress or anxiety. Think about it - Mr McCann is a heart surgeon - do you think he is actually capable of doing his job at the moment? Similarly for his wife, Dr. McCann. One wonders how many months or years it will take for them to be fully functional again, if ever.

Ever heard the one about people in glass houses? Or "Ye who is without sin cast the first stone" ? If you must blame someone, blame the evil monster who took Madeleine in the first place.

This horrific situation has stirred up such emotion and debate not only about Madeleine but also about other missing children. I find it difficult to think what is more important in life than looking for a young, innocent child that is missing and needs help, regardless of their class, background or circumstances. Any parent would do what they can to the best of their ability and that is clearly what the McCanns are doing. I think every missing child should have the same attention, sadly not all of them are from families that have the same skills and resources as the McCanns, isn't that where we, the general public, should step in to help? Ask yourself, what are you doing to make the world a better place? not just criticising people in their darkest hour i hope? There is much more we could be doing.

Look at it this way - the website has had 150 million hits. sky new website has it as one of its most read news stories. Doesn't that tell you something? the general public WANT to know about this, they care. I can tell you the names of a number of abducted children that have been in the news over the last few years. Its not the amount of coverage they get that makes their names, or their faces, stick in your mind - is it? In my opinion it is ridiculous to even ask the question of whether it is appropriate - of course it is.

Hi
The media has been very good in staying with this story and I do not blame the McCann's for their use of anything that mat may return their Maddy.
I am sure that it is because of our insatiable desire for "new news" that they have continued to push Maddy's case.
All credit to them; we have to accept our part in the blame.
I have two daughters and I know that in their circumstances I would leave no stone unturned.
Fortunately they have their faith and all that brings to this current situation to help them.
Don't carp: Keep praying!

IVE SEEN THEM SMILE I SEEN THEM TALK ALOT BUT I HAVENT SEEN THEM BREAK DOWN AND CRY IF IT WAS ME I BE IN HOSPITAL WITH NERVERS BREAK DOWN I WOULDNT BE ABLE TO SLEEP I WOULD HAVE TO KEEP LOOKING NOT MATTER WHAT FAITH U ARE AT LEST U WOULD BE CRYING YOUR HEART OUT WITH GUILT IM NOT CONVINCED

Can I just open this up to a slightly wider debate. If we are to hijack news coverage from Gaza, Pakistan, Iraq or Iran every time a child goes missing then where are we going to end up ?

I would draw a distinction with the coverage for Alan Johnston, as I think there is a far wider issue of Middle East politics, the plight of the wider Palestinian people and the Peace Process [ or current lack of it ].

But all the coverage for Madeleine McCann is in danger of setting some sort of precedent that will lead to News 24 ending up as some sort of hideous US style 'Action News' where the motto is 'if it bleeds [or burns] , it leads..'.

Rational comment on, and analysis of, more detailed problems around the world will soon disappear if stories with a simple 'little girl lost' headline hoover up the airwaves.

Simply contrast the 'Newsnight' coverage of 2 one-minute 'drop-ins' with the endless assumptions and speculation which News 24 was falling into until they reined it back when it became apparent that some of the mistakes made on the 'Ipswich' story were in danger of being repeated.

I feel sickened by all the negative judgemental comments on this site. Yes the media should be publicising this case. As a parent and grandmother I think constantly of the poor parents and Madeleine as well as all others who have suffered. What a terrible world. I agree with comment 41.

Of course its appropriate, Madeleine is their little girl who is currently thinking where are her parents and what is happening to herself and her parents are beside themselves with despair, anguish, guilt and a very large heavy hole inside them that will not go away until they have their little girl back safely under their wing. For anyone to comment otherwise is just churlish and perhaps should consider how far they would go if they were dropped in this same appalling situation. To be fair, their hand is forced also by the complete lack of understanding or communication by the Portuguese police, who seem, unlike this country, to consider the press as an enemy and not as one of their best possible far reaching tools to work with and appeal to a far reaching audience, in fact they are so secretive they appear completely incompetent and naive, so the McCanns realising this have taken up the mantle themselves and have perahaps lost valuable time in the beginning, don't be to harsh, not many people could not even operate after suffering something I only hope to God that Madeleine can be found and the family happily reconciled. Try putting yourself in both parents and the childs shoes before inanely nitpicking.

from Caroline, Rachel Hayley & Kerry. We hope your found safe and sound soon sweetheart our thoughts are always with you XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Of course it is the worst of tragedies for any family to lose a child. The question is, what makes this case so worthy of so much over-the-top exposure? What differentiates this case from the dozens of missing children cases that must occur every day around the world. I don't mean to sound unsympathetic, but it almost seems as though "media" is scratching hard to find something distract the masses from the many other monstrous horrors occuring in the world right now.

I am still finding it shocking, and frankly disgusting, that so many of you cannot see how truly significant the media is during this horrendous battle to find this girl. For the first time in years, we are seeing the media for what it should be, as opposed to what it is constantly critized for. I applaud the bbc and indeed news networks worldwide, who have publicized this event so well. For those haters in the world..you are missing the point! It is OPEN SEASON for children in this world, and it is high time that we focus on the likes of a beautiful missing girl, rather than Lindsay Lohan's DUI or Brittney Spears shaving her head. If this were your child, you would be eternally greatful for the media coverage. Keep it up 大象传媒.

The question is regarding the rights or wrong of the high media coverage.
The media is supposed to cover a story as it is, without being biased but in this case they have failed. None of them reported the fact that the McCann鈥檚 failed in their job as parents by leaving their children alone. A tragedy only takes a second to happen and if as parents we are not there for our children when tragedy strikes, then we have failed as parents and let our children down. Only this time it looks like Madeleine has paid the ultimate price, God Bless her.
The coverage is now dying down. It鈥檚 impossible to keep taking 50% of the news time broadcast on one story that has been running now for four weeks.
What is so important about what we call her? To most people in the world she is Maddy but to the McCann鈥檚 and their clan she must be called Madeleine. I wish that is all they had to worry about!
Where did the McCann鈥檚 keep their money, passports and insurance papers that night? Could they have been locked away in a safety deposit box?
I bet they weren鈥檛 just left on the bed in the unlocked apartment room, as the three children were!
I also think it is wrong to criticize the Portuguese police. Their laws are different from ours and after all, the Police are not the ones that are guilty of leaving the children alone in an apartment while they went off to eat at the local Tapas bar, 100 yards away from where the children lay in their beds.
By the way, it is an offence to leave children alone under Portuguese law and hopefully if Gordon Brown doesn鈥檛 or already hasn鈥檛 stepped in to fight the McCann鈥檚 case they should be arrested at some point for Gross Neglect of Infants.
If not, why not?
Everyone wishes Maddy and all other missing children no harm. Please God may they all be safe.

In this forum and in various blogs people have said that the parents made a 鈥榤istake鈥�. There鈥檚 no way that leaving their three young children unattended could be regarded as a mistake. A 鈥榤istake鈥� is a wrong decision, or something which is not correct. To make a mistake there must be two or more alternative decisions which could have been made in a given set of circumstances. The wrong alternative could be chosen, and thus a mistake would be made either because of lack of information (ignorance if you like) or because the decision is based on incorrect information or because the person taking the decision is so disturbed in some way as not to be responsible for their actions. In this case yes there were two alternatives, either to leave the children unattended or not to leave them but one of the alternatives, that of leaving them unattended, is so horribly and obviously wrong that it can鈥檛 be seen as a an acceptable alternative, especially when the decision is being taken by such knowledgeable and experienced and parents of sound mind.

Deciding to leave the children unattended could not be regarded as a mistake it was taking a calculated risk that nothing untoward would happen to the children whilst the parents were absent. Abduction is probably the least likely risk you take if you leave children unattended, there is fire, illness and other hazards and two mature and capable parents would be aware of these risks if they weren鈥檛 they would be extremely incompetent professionals.

Don鈥檛 imagine that this will have been a one off occasion in which the children were left it will most likely have been a regular pattern. If the child was abducted (and we don鈥檛 know this yet) then no doubt the abductor will have watch and discovered a regular pattern? If the child was not abducted then the parents will be 100% responsible, if she was abducted they are guilty of providing the opportunity. Forgive me if this seems a rather cold analysis but it is an attempt to straight out some woolly thinking on the subject which seems to be aimed at minimising the parents part in the tragedy.

The releasing of the balloons by children was the final straw for me. This hurts the environment and chokes wildlife.

I stopped caring once the pope got involved. Does he care about the millions of Africans who contract HIV because he won't sanction the use of condoms.......

I don't want to hear about this any more.

Did the parents make a mistake? Yes. But, is it the time to criticize them? No.Any parent will feel guilty that their negligence has caused harm to their child. I don't think that the parents are wrong in trying to keep the focus on their child.

But, there are millions of other cases which need attention. In Africa, millions of children are dying because of hunger and diseases which can be easily prevented. In Iraq and Palestine, innocent children are caught in the crossfire in the so called 'war against terror'.

So, it becomes the responsibility of the press to bring the spotlight on such issues. No one can blame the McCanns for the press ignoring these issues.They are only full filing their duties as parents. It is for the press to now to clean up its act

Hello from Canada,

We don't get coverage of this over here, so it seems very odd that this one missing child case is getting so much attention and money devoted to it. Can someone tell me what is just so special about the McCanns as compared to families of other missing children? That is not a rhetorical question, rather I would appreciate it if someone could clarify this to me! It seems to be outrageously skewed coverage.

Sadly it just appears as though all of the interest/coverage stems from the fact that a lot of money is flowing in the right directions the longer this carries on.

What next, a lunar landing for the McCanns?

When, some 20 years ago, my daughter was in the intensive care unit and I did not know what the outcome would be, I just wanted to be with my son. All the time. I am surprised that the parents travel without the rest of their children. I am surprised that they take them to day care.......

Also, with all this publicity, what options does the abductor have now? What would you do if you had abducted a child whose face is known to all?

I find this questioning of the Media coverage to be deeply questionable. It smacks of jealousy, and a bizarre suggestion that no child deserves such coverage if all children cannot have it. In the US it has been proven beyond doubt that individual campaigns significantly boost all other missing campaigns.
Also please remember that the media is an industry not a public service. They care about one thing and one thing only - readership, listenership, audience, rating, earnings - call it what you like.
Good luck to the parents !

I do hope with all my heart that they get their daughter back as soon as possible.However I think that the publicity has now reached epedemic proportions.

I do ask myself what about all those other children that have been taken this year?.Where is there publicity and what chance do their parents have of getting them returned let alone getting a mention in the Media?

I agree with with Ralph this was no 'mistake' you don not leave kids alone by MISTAKE. If the girl is found safe (and we all hope she will be) will the parents be selling their story to the highest tabliod bidder? I wonder? I hope the neglect law is enforced out there and people will not feel sorry for the parents. No mistake people, just old fashioned selfishness and NEGLECT.

Tens of thousands of children in several African countries have been abducted and forced to serve as soldiers or "wives" for warlords. How many of them have names to us? But we're bombarded with minute-by-minute coverage of every non-development in this case! And God forbid someone suggest that perhaps Madeleine's parents shouldn't have left their toddlers alone in a hotel room in a foreign country. That would be insensitive.

While I'm the first one to scream about the Media's excessive coverages of things like , Brittany Spears,or the adlebrained products of Hollywood,I'm all for saturating the papers and T V with pictures and any coverage, in an effort to find this little girl. I'm the grandfather of 8 and my 6 Children are all grown, but I can imagine the pain and apprehension if a tragedy such as this had befallen them. I know sometimes it seem a bit much, the coverage I mean, but I always think,maybe the last picture printed may have been just seen by someone who remembers being in a market, and seeing the child just a few moments ago. I don't know , maybe it's whistling in the wind, but I'm always waiting to pick up the paper, or turning on the T V and finding the news that the poor little thing has been found alive. The icing on the cake , would be the news that the tip had been passed on by someone who had just seen her picture for the first time that day. May God deliver her to us, safe and sound.

In response to Ms Price's comment below, who exactly are you to decide whether or not the media interest in the case should cease? What harm can it possibly bring, other than to keep the girl's profile fresh in the minds of the public? Surely devoting a page in a newspaper, normally reserved for the likes of Paris Hilton, to the plight of a distraught family searching for their missing child is not too much to ask for? Perhaps it will also help highlight the plight of other missing children also.
With regard to your comment about Mrs McCann's attire at her audience with the Pope, I think if you research it properly, you'll find that it is not obligatory for women to cover their heads when meeting the Pope, women are required however to cover their shoulders and dress appropriately. Surely a black suit, such as that worn by Mrs McCann matches those criteria?

Marlene Price wrote:
I think that the prominece of this in the media should now cease. I think that it is getting too much publicity especially in the plight of many parents whose children are missing, and have been missing for a number of years. I am also slightly disturbed that Kate McCann has shown some disrespect for the Pope. It is claimed that she is a strong catholic and as a catholic would know that it is appropriate to cover your head, even if with a small peice of lace, as a mark of respect.

Lets now put this media frenzy to the back burner.

Several comments...first, a response to Randall...the self identified Canadian. I too am a Canadian, and I'm wondering if you could tell me exactly what rock it is that you live under? NO coverage of this missing child in Canada? Please, turn on a little black box called a tv, you'll be amazed at how much information you'll find! As for John Kerr's comments, I couldn't agree more. I think the media is doing a fine job of getting the message out there: That the McCann's, and other victims of similar atrocities, are NOT going to take this lying down. Oh and by the way, for the morons who suggest that other children aren't receiving this coverage, so neither should Madeleine...hmmm, perhaps you should practice what you preach and stop eating, drinking fresh water, using your computer, and sleeping in a warm bed, because the last I checked, MILLIONS of people world wide don't enjoy these luxuries. Why do you?

This has gotten past the stage of rediculous. Even in Dublin theres missing madeline posters up in pubs. Its like a brand name that people are jumping on now.

The parents, while I have sympathy for their plight, are completely to blame in he matter. If it was a single mother who left her kids alone there would be public uproar, it goes to show the inequality in this world. She would probably be charged with neglect. It really anoys me when people compare leaving their kids in the house with them upstairs and the kid downstarirs. They were out of the building, around the corner. Just because they checked on them every "30 mins" hardly puts them down as good parents in my books.

This avent shocked me, i was so anoyed that some one would do this.Madiline seemed a lovley girl and the family seemed caring every one hopes that she comes back safe and unharmed i have wared a yellow ribbon in hope for her to return.

all hope comes from my heart
from elena

iam in bitterful shame that any living person would do this to a normal family.I am so sad to see a little girl been takin by one of us we are all humans but this one person dosent seem to be. all my hope goes out to the family and for madiline to return safley and well she is a lovley girl and its a shame to see her gone all my hope and love goes to the family good luck

ellie

Everybody would like this little girl found,alive and well.Everybody would also like the abductor found and punished.However,in all of this, we are not getting any closer to what happened that evening just prior to her missing.The story of just what the parents and their friends (who by the way do not appear anywhere on the screen) were doing is full of inconsistencies . The focus has swung well away from their cavalier actions, and been directed into a fighting fund (just what is this for)and into many photographs of the parents looking at least for the tabloids quite relaxed (although at times the mask slips ).Mr McCann seems have now taken an attitude that everything regardless of resources should be at his beck and call.I understand that on his recent visit he wanted the Spanish Interior Minister to give him the assurance that Spain was proactive in the search for Madeleine.I am pretty sure that he was told that Spain would do what it could but this had to be set against priorities for Spanish citizens also.I fear that his way of running this campaign will eventually turn into tears-we have the Portugese police vilified,we have an assortment of people in Portugal turned into criminals without trial and we are really just forgetting about the girl who is the real victim (not the parents) in this case.

what is wrong with these people who are critical of the mccann family for doing everything in their power to get their child back? If its boring you dont keep up, watch big bro or something else as stimulating. And yes of course, pray for all children who are not safe!

Abduction of children should put people in a lynch mob frenzy. As criminals slowly chip away at the tenuous glue that holds society together, we watch passively from the sidelines. Children are the lifeblood of the world. It's should be intolerable to the world that a child should ever go missing!

The amount of press coverage is ridiculous. Watching the news the other day, a five minute report about the Madeline case was followed by a thirty second report about the murder of 27 people in Baghdad.

While I sympathise with Madeline's parents, the press coverage the case has received so far has been disproportionate.

I am tired of the comments about people who say that the McCanns should not have left their children alone are "ones who probably don't have kids." Actually, they probably all have kids and NEVER leave them by themselves! And that is partly why they still have their kids!

I dont blame the parents for their mistakes, thats stupid, most parents have done something stupid with their kids, what matters is either gross neglience, or a pattern of neglect - neither of these apply to this situation as far as I can tell.

However, too much attention is being paid to it, shes no more important then many missiong children, and quite frankly, less important on a national or global scale then any number of policies that will effect tens of thousands to millions.

Yes, they should still get the support of the media for as long as it takes.The media started with it and should stick with it. I like, everyone else, want Madeleine returned safely into the arms of their parents, Gerry & Kate, and being reunited with the twins, who must be missing her like mad, even though they're too young to understand the reason for her dissappearence.

The parents, while they're getting massive media coverage and rightly so, by getting it, they are raising the consciousness of all the other missing children in the world. And are making people focus more on safeguarding their own children, maybe like they hadn't thought of, or done so well before this tragedy, concerning the abducting of Madeleine.

I've heard some say they shouldn't have gone to see the Pope and that Kate was disrespectful in not wearing a veil. Well on this occasion, I'm sure Pope Benedict wouldn't even have noticed or if he did wouldn't have minded for the fact that this mother was suffering insurmountable pain, and her loving concern for their beautiful missing daughter was more important than remembering to wear covering on her head in the Pontiff's presence. She went there with her husband to get spiritual support as they're devoted Catholics. Other's are blaming them for their misfortune in that they weren't with their children at the time of this heinous act, can anyone possibly say that there were no other parents in the world, or even just in Portugal, or even again in that holiday resort that left their children unattended wrapped up in bed on that night. No, I am sure you can't because the simple fact of the matter is, that many parents do it, not deliberately, but by the fact that they are as near as can be, and are thinking their children are safe and sound in between the regular times, that they check up on them. There are then a lot of other parents in the world that dont know where their children are for hours on end, and wouldn't even care. And that's a fact. So instead of blaming the Mc Canns, think for a moment where your own toddlers are, if you have same. The fact of the matter is, their unfortunate tragic nightmare, may just be helping you to be more alert for your child or
children.

Now regarding, Madeleine, we can see from the pictures & videos that she is a beautiful child who was so happy with her parents and the twins. No one could dare say that these parents didn't care, you can see that in evey word action & deed that they've done since her abduction. How they've done that all this time now (fourth week) without flinching, I'll never know? It just seems that whatever it takes, how long it takes, they'll be doing their upmost to find her. I cant even begin to imagine their innermost emotions as regards the pain, they've been battling with since the night of Madeleines abduction. Let's pray it's not long more, till they are all reunited, and till then these parent's should be supported by as many of us as possible in our prayers and actions, and this goes for the media also. They have to keep this story at the top of the headlines because by doing so they are most likely to keep our minds on Madeleine, and in the end that will give this little girl every possible chance of been found and be with her loving family again. None of this is about celebrity, it's all to do with a beautiful little girl who came to the worlds attention not out of choice, but out of chance that turned her into another missing child, one of many it can be said, But her media attention has brought the fact home to the rest of us, that it could have been our child, and how shocked and painfully laden that would have made us. Could we have handled it with the same dignity as the Mc Canns? I for one know, I couldn't, and with that frame of mind I will keep on praying and trying to keep her profile alive, as best I can. If we all done this, including the media, we might have a result sooner than later of seeing Madeleine home with her family. God knows this is the result the world wants, and that is, I'm sure what he'll soon deliver. Gerry & Kate, we'll all be together with you every minute of your journey, believe it. Media, take note, and do likewise!

Yes, they should still get the support of the media for as long as it takes.The media started with it and should stick with it. I like, everyone else, want Madeleine returned safely into the arms of her parents, Gerry & Kate, and being reunited with the twins, who must be missing her like mad, even though they're too young to understand the reason for her dissappearence.

The parents, while they're getting massive media coverage and rightly so, by getting it, they are raising the consciousness of all the other missing children in the world. And are making people focus more on safeguarding their own children, maybe like they hadn't thought of, or done so well before this tragedy, concerning the abducting of Madeleine.

I've heard some say they shouldn't have gone to see the Pope and that Kate was disrespectful in not wearing a veil. Well on this occasion, I'm sure Pope Benedict wouldn't even have noticed or if he did wouldn't have minded for the fact that this mother was suffering insurmountable pain, and her loving concern for their beautiful missing daughter was more important than remembering to wear covering on her head in the Pontiff's presence. She went there with her husband to get spiritual support as they're devoted Catholics. Other's are blaming them for their misfortune in that they weren't with their children at the time of this heinous act, can anyone possibly say that there were no other parents in the world, or even just in Portugal, or even again in that holiday resort that left their children unattended wrapped up in bed on that night. No, I am sure you can't because the simple fact of the matter is, that many parents do it, not deliberately, but by the fact that they are as near as can be, and are thinking their children are safe and sound in between the regular times, that they check up on them. There are then a lot of other parents in the world that dont know where their children are for hours on end, and wouldn't even care. And that's a fact. So instead of blaming the Mc Canns, think for a moment where your own toddlers are, if you have same. The fact of the matter is, their unfortunate tragic nightmare, may just be helping you to be more alert for your child or
children.

Now regarding, Madeleine, we can see from the pictures & videos that she is a beautiful child who was so happy with her parents and the twins. No one could dare say that these parents didn't care, you can see that in evey word action & deed that they've done since her abduction. How they've done that all this time now (fourth week) without flinching, I'll never know? It just seems that whatever it takes, how long it takes, they'll be doing their upmost to find her. I cant even begin to imagine their innermost emotions as regards the pain, they've been battling with since the night of Madeleines abduction. Let's pray it's not long more, till they are all reunited, and till then these parent's should be supported by as many of us as possible in our prayers and actions, and this goes for the media also. They have to keep this story at the top of the headlines because by doing so they are most likely to keep our minds on Madeleine, and in the end that will give this little girl every possible chance of been found and be with her loving family again. None of this is about celebrity, it's all to do with a beautiful little girl who came to the worlds attention not out of choice, but out of chance that turned her into another missing child, one of many it can be said, But her media attention has brought the fact home to the rest of us, that it could have been our child, and how shocked and painfully laden that would have made us. Could we have handled it with the same dignity as the Mc Canns? I for one know, I couldn't, and with that frame of mind I will keep on praying and trying to keep her profile alive, as best I can. If we all done this, including the media, we might have a result sooner than later of seeing Madeleine home with her family. God knows this is the result the world wants, and that is, I'm sure what he'll soon deliver. Gerry & Kate, we'll all be together with you every minute of your journey, believe it. Media, take note, and do likewise!

The fact that 450 other missing children have not been mentioned in the press is immaterial - it's like telling someone to stop eating because people in other countries are dying of hunger ! The argument is specious and ineffective .I have not been following the story but heard about it on a recent visit to the UK. If the press coverage can help to find at least one lost young lady then so be it.

Why has so little been mentioned about the parents leaving their children UNATTENDED while enjoying a meal at a nearby restaurant? I remember 大象传媒 news reporting that they were "just meters away", as if that was sufficient. The fact is the McCann's left their children without supervision. This point should be emphasised so that other parents are reminded NOT to make the same mistake.

Sure it's appropriate but I would like to believe that the child of working class parents would have the chance at the same media exposure as the McCann's daughter. Somehow, I do not feel that would be the case.

At 04:47 AM on 03 Jun 2007, Jack Chang wrote:
Why has so little been mentioned about the parents leaving their children UNATTENDED while enjoying a meal at a nearby restaurant?

I must agree. These parents are very much at fault for leaving these children alone. The amount of mischief children at this age can get into I must say that I am quite surprised that these 'educated' parents could be so negligent.

Whilst we all have the utmost sympathy for these people,and hope Madeline comes back safe, the parents are the ones to blame for leaving the children alone. We all know it only takes a few seconds for a tragedy to happen.
The pulicity? will it make for another media circus when madeline is found?
Or is this all being manipulated by the McCanns for self gain.
By the way I am an employed middle class mother of 2.

I think the media coverage should be narrowed down.
Yes the whole nation are hoping that little Maddy has come to no physical harm, or course, if this is the case the mental scar will remain with that poor little girl for the rest of her life and she will only have her parents to blame for that, which no doubt she will as she grows older.
Maybe leaving the situation out of limelight, the abductor would leave this poor frightened child where she could be found, and returned her to parents, who by now will have learnt their lesson that you do not leave children alone and go out for your own pleasure regardless how close by you might be.

The concept that keeping the disappearance of children in the public domain such as TV and newspapers clearly hasn't worked in this instance. Not one sighting has been reported despite massive poster and TV coverage both in the UK and many other countries . There has been no ransom demand that we are aware of so we must conclude she was taken for another reason, possibly for a childless couple or single mother. Opportunities were possibly missed in the first few hours of her disappearance but clearly this kidnapping was well planned and she was probably out of Portugal within a few hours.
Time I think to let the police get on with the investigation unhindered by the press hanging on to every move they make. Sad to say it but the viewing public need too move on however callous that may sound as there are bigger issues to be debated.

if they cared about madeline that much they would never left her in aroom on her own like all perants there buggies and they fall asleep in them all good perants DO NOT LEAVE KIDS ON THERE OWN

THE POLICE ARE DOING AGOOD JOB BEHIND THE SCEENS THAT KNOW ONE KNOWS ABOUT THERE NOT THAT DOWN HEARTED TO LEAVE IT AND THERE KEEPING THINGS QUITE BEOUSE THEY DIDNT WANT ALL PUBLISTY BECOUSE IT COULD RUINE WHAT THEY GOT

ALL THEY ARE DOING IS MAKING IT WORSE BECOUSE THEY WILL GO UNGROUND WHO EVER HAS GOT HER AND THEY WONT GET HER BACK

I REALLY HOPE SHE IS SAFE

HOW ABOUT THE OTHER CHILDREN WHO GONE MISSING I HOPE THE MONEY THAT HAS BEEN RAISED WILL GO TO A CHAIRTY FOR OTHER MISSING CHILDREN WELL NOT ALL IT IT BUT A ENOUGH TO HELP OTHERS

AND ITS BAOUT TIME THE PROSICUTED THEM FOR NEGLECT I AHVE MY GRANDSON WHO WAS NEGLECTED AND MY DAUGHTER WAS PULLED IN BUT ONE THING SHE NEVER EVER LEFT HIM ON HIS OWN MAYBE MY DAUGHTER SHULD BECOME A DOCTOR THEN SHE WOULD BEEN LEFT ALONE OH FORGOT SHE LOWER CLASS ONE PERANT FAMILY

THIS BE MY LAST POST I DONT WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT ANY MORE TILL WE GET NEW FLASH SHE HAS BEEN FOUND

MY HEART AND SOLE GO OUT TO U MADELINE I HOPE THERE TAKEN CARE OF U BLESS YOUR LIL HEART AND AL SO TO ALL THE OTHER CHILDREN WHO ARE MISSING

The abduction of Madeleine is a sure nightmare to her parents, a nightmare that goes for way too long. However, i can't help but have this uneasy feeling of cold calculating use of media in the case. Every time Mccanns appear on TV screen there is never a spontaniety but attention to the smallest detail of the way they move, dress, the toy held in the mother hand, everything, - too movie like. I understand they are to use any option open to them possible, and rightly so, i simply can't help to observe what i see.

I am a mother myself, I CANNOT EVER LEAVE MY CHILD EVEN TO HIS AUNTY TO LOOK AFTER HIM, BECAUSE I COULD NOT BEAR TO THINK THAT IF MY SON WOKE UP AND CRIED FOR HIS MUMMY......LET ALONE LIVE MY CHILD AND GOES OUT TO HAVE DINNER. This is unbeleivable and you made them like a celeb. THis is SICK, and i speak for the rest of mums here. This couple should be purnished by the police for negligance the children under FOURTEEN they not even FOUR!!!!!!!
if they CARE for their children, then the little girl IS NOT MISSING! I could not bear the though that to leave my son on his own just incase he fall off the bed, or he suddengly felt sick....HOW COULD THE PARENT COULD DO THAT TO THEIR CHILD!!!! Please only show on your program the GOOD EXAMPLE not THE BAD EXAMPLE please. What's justice for Madeleine?????????

What I do not understand is what the parents will get by keeping the issue highligted all the time, going from a country to another country. While the issue is very important to them (understandable), does it matter to ordinary citizens who are coping with everyday life troubles? Ordinary citizens in the countries they are visiting, even in UK? Depending on circustances, people may have to ignore problems of next door neighbours , aven problems of relatives. Now the parents have made a mistake, the result is not a German's or Dutch's or Italian's etc problem. Those who say 'oh,you would do everything to find your child' ,can you realise that there are cases even the security forces/police eventually leave unsolved, however despeate they are to solve them.

Just imagine if it were your daughter. Wouldn't you do everything in your power to find her? Wouldn't you want everyone to do everything in their power to help you?

We cannot condemn the McCann's efforts to keep this tragedy in the public eye. Besides, how many of us were talking about the other missing children before this happened? Can we say that we were concerned and outraged then? If this publicity means we are discussing the other children then it can't be a bad thing.

This whole affair degrades us all. These irresponsible parents who left their children exposed to danger should be castigated and ignored. The media, inc. the increasingly trashy 大象传媒 have turned the whole affair into a disgusting circus. Praying popes, leering crowds, celebrity endorsements. No doubt the toe rag rights, the book and the film are to follow. The moronic inferno is here...and don't you all love it.

Although I think it's important to make people aware of the potential risks in leaving a child unsupervised, my concern is that all this media attention could 'up the price' of any potential randsom situation and encourage other such kidnappings.

The Interpol site currently has 320 missing children logged, each with parents like the McCanns. Interpol implies this is the tip of the iceberg and there are probably thousands of kids whose fate is unknown. Why should just one attract the media attention? Are the others less deserving? Probably not: the parents of some of the others most likely were not out enjoying themselves with an unsupervised kid in bed.

Ms Emma 3 June 11.53 hrs
It is easy to ask 'what if your child were lost' etc. I have no doubt that as soon as their visit to an irrelevant country ended, that country welcoming them will forget the whole thing and will mind its own business and troubles.

Wouldn't I want everyone to do everything in their power to help me in a similar situation?
Yes, but Germany or Netherlands or whatever country has nothing in their power to help McCans.

If the reader C.Worthington-12.25 pm-3 June is exaggerating by defining the whole thing as 'circus', well on the other hand he or she is NOT far from telling the truth.

Can't blame the parents for using what I presume was the means advised to them as the best to find the girl ("Keep the case prominent!") but the conspicuous invisibility of whoever is orchestrating this vast international media event (it's surely not the parents, photogenic and articulate thougn they are) promotes cognitive dissonance on my part. "Could it all be a scam?"

I cannot help but feel uneasy the longer
Madelaine is missing, that the exceptionally large amount of money offered for information,that none of any real value, has been forthcoming

The only thing i care about is finding her safe and well, and that no-one will ever give up!
There is always hope.

how many children go missing and never receive this frenzied, voyeuristic press coverage? there is a grave danger that compassion fatigue will set in, which will negate what the parents are attempting to do. would they perhaps be facing accusations of neglect if they were not nice, well-bred professionals? the gutter press has obviously not thought about this

Reimer at 4:40 PM wrote:
"Could it all be a scam?"

Something just doesn't seem "right". I wish I could put my finger on it, but I can't.

It has seemed so orchestrated, with the media going along with the production. And never criticising them for leaving three tiny children alone -- much further away than any garden at home. And why not use the babysitting service? And they are doctors? And nobody criticised them on TV?

Weird.

i hope little maddy is found i am thinking of her and her parents and how brave they are being because if that happened to me then i don't know what i would do please, if you have seen anyone who looks like her then please tell someone and if you are the person who is keeping her please retern safely because just think how you would feel if this happened to you and how you would feel!!!!

i can't believe that anyone would do this because all it is doing is making everyone upset and really it is not cool it is sick and sad that anyone would actually have the guts to this terrible thing so please keep this in mind and remember that this is not cool it is discusting and i hope whoever done this is feeling very guilty that they've taken an inocent little 3/4 year old from their family when they're on holiday!!!

oh and why don't the police make pictures of what little maddy would look like if they've changed the way she looks like.

I think it's disgusting the way the whole thing has made itself top news. The parents are raking in the money and for what? Because THEY left their child alone. How many children are missing around the world? These parents are taking advantage of their new found fame to meet world leaders. Why did they meet the Pope? What can he do? It's all for publicity and the newspapers are loving it along with the coporations who can make millions just by pretending to care about the whole thing.

If there's one thing i've noticed, it's that all the people who haven't been taken in by this story are open to debate while all the people brainwashed by the advertising campaigns are completely closed off and REFUSE to even listen to someone trying to show their side of the story. The general public are all guilty for one reason or the other and they spend their time wishing good luck so they can feel a little better about themselves. People should forget this whole thing and donate money to where it's needed: poverty. And NOT to some irresponsible parents and companies capitalizing on this shambles of a story.

the problem is that everybody keeps harping on the negative aspects of a media campaign for an abducted child...why? Do you not see how it has increased the awareness of other missing child in that area. First I ever heard of Ben Needham, Sara Morales, Yeremi Vargas... starting to bear eerie similarities. What if this big family campaign exposed a child trafficking ring, or sinister paediophile network. Why not? Hey its only been a month. Maybe the support the story of other missing kids too. There's a bigger picture here and if you all just have a look for a minute - there is a very serious issue being highlighted here - Child Abduction for Sexual Exploitation. Imagine the complete horror in your mind and soul for eternity knowing your child was subjected to such abuse. Rui Pedro was abducted 11yrs old. A boy. 3 yrs later HIS MOTHER identifies him through a pornographic photo - of being abused. The police had just broke through a global paediophile network. Can you ever imagine how tortured that mother's soul will be forever? if you are not a parent, you couldn't. its not the same as your parents, siblings, lover.. its your heart&soul living outside of you. and for someone to just take your child & know there are many possible outcomes - which one will be dealt to you? Imagine that torment. So the media, shambles, capitalising comments are as shallow as its authors.

the attention is definitely not being lavished on the McCanns. Most of you seem quite stupid. Yeremi Vargas had huge coverage in Spain when he disappeared. The McCann campaign highlighted this - didnt know about it, not because they had attention Lavished on them, but because they are fighting with every ounce of strength they can muster to deal with self-recrimination - a decision that turned out to be indeed a very bad one. Kate & Gerry will have a very heavy cross to bear for the rest of their lives. Your judgement is fruitless. Its weird actually, complete strangers vent such malign cutting remarks.
So with every penny, contact, strength and fervent hope - with the support of their families - they are searching Europe and hopefully other people will get on board. Interest in that subject is highlighted and there are ripple effects to every major event in your own life or that of the world's. the world's well-being is quite an advantage to your wellbeing. everything's spinning out of control, global warming, child exploitation, poverty -slavery, abuse
I could not think of anything worse. yet we are the adults - we should be looking out for them. You turn a blind eye to this story, then what story do you want to watch everyday that will keep your conscience aware that there is life beyond you?

I refer to the ignorant comment 509 who wrote: "Sure it's appropriate but I would like to believe that the child of working class parents would have the chance at the same media exposure as the McCann's daughter. Somehow, I do not feel that would be the case."

Go look up Sarah Payne.

James Bulger.

Yeremi Vargas.

Sara Morelas.

Holly Wells & Jessica Chapman.

A good argument is always interesting to read but uninformed opinions are silly. holds no water.

I feel very sorry for Madeline, but frankly, I am feeling less and less sorry for her parents. Leaving their children unattended night after night; what sort of example of parents do they set? A fire can destroy a building in minutes and their babies would never have got out.
At the end of the day, if the poor little girl has, God forbid, been killed - there is no chance someone is going to come forward and tell police where she is buried now, so they can move on with their lives. Even someone who has suspicions of another may not wish to come forward into the full media glare with information.
And let's also remember all the thousands of children killed daily in Darfur and Iraq and of malnutrition and poverty - something WE can do something about.

To, Annabel,533.

Why are you feeling sorry for Madeleine and less and less for her parents? They are both suffering equally in that, they are apart, Madeleine from her parents & vice versa. And as for night after night, are you now an expert on the Mc Canns lives that you know this to be the case? You have a cheek, telling them to move on, because Madeleine might be killed, and no-one will report that, because of all the publicity of the case at present. They'll move on when they decide, and let no-one else tell them when to.

And I'm sure they will stick with it for as long as it takes them to do everything in their power to look for, and hopefully find their daughter with the help of the police & the general public. Because someone has to know something about the perpetrator/s who took her. It only takes a phone call and that may be how it turns out, and knowing the love they have for her, they're not giving up hope till they've exhausted every avenue, and rightly so.

And as regards the poverty in Darfur and the mayhem in Iraq. Yes, we can all do something and should do about these terrible issues as well as many more in the world, how about I ask, have you? But we cant do anything for the children in these places that are killed, for the children still alive we can, and the governments, UN, and ordinary people should because it the right thing to do. That's the point regarding Madeleine we dont know if she has been killed, neither do her parents. And that's the very reason that the media coverage and the search for her must continue, because if we're fed up with the media coverage about the Mc Canns after just one month, then what does that say to all the other missing children in the world, sorry if you're lost, but are not discovered again within a month then, tough. A fine message that is, to be sending out, so think again before putting print to paper. Yes, I agree, Iraq and Darfur are much needed causes to be solved. But if you feel for all that, that the search for Madeleine Mc Cann should be ended right now and her parents just should give up, then I wouldn't think you'd last the course for very long to give the children in either Darfur or Iraq, very much hope or succour!

Yes, like so many others, I feel that it is time the media eased up on this story.

I also feel that if Maddy was abducted, the media has played into the abductors hands by exposing too much information about the case, thus leaving him/her/them, to be one step ahead of the investigators.

Also, the fact that Maddy is now world-wide "hot" news, must make the abductor/s edgy. This could sadly lead to a devastating fate for this little girl.

My sympathy is for Maddy and Maddy alone, although I understand the pain the parents are going through.

I have just looked into the Website set up for Maddy and was appauled to see listed, a routine of the parents daily activities and a BLOG. For goodness sake, how can that help find Maddy? I would suggest that the McCanns spend more time with their twins, rather than spending so much time playing the field, to sympathetic readers.

We do not need to know of the parents every move. It is insane. Our concerns are with Maddy....a little girl, who did not ask for this to happen to her.

I am sure the Police will also heave a sigh of relief, if they are left alone to do their work without having to cope with the media and the sensational stories they print.

For the record. I am a mother, grandmother and greatgrandmother.

I am 1/2 way around the world.My prayers goes to the family.Any form of help by the media or by any others means are welcome.We talk about creating a better world for our children yet there are still insensitive people complaing about the exposure that the family is getting.

I am a father of 2 boys from whom i can relate to the Mcann's plight.

Bring Maddy home.She shouldn't be forgotten.

Of course the McCann's have every right to keep their daughter's plight in the news. What has happened in other cases is irrelevant and should highlight the lack of concern by the then press in bringing abducted children into every news bulletin. What price does the press put on a child's head - nothing I presume if you read what has been written by some reporters. They should be ashamed of themselves.
Well done the McCann's and I hope they find some closure to this terrible tragedy.

In the name of finding the little girl anything is allowed. Shame on those who criticize their efforts.

DEFINITELY! As a mother of 2 I feel deeply for the parents and pray with all my heart that they recover their precious child. Media coverage is the only tool that they have and as such they have no choice but to take full advantage of it.

Not only is this coverage essential on a personal level for the family, but also on a much wider and deeper level as human trafficking is still an international problem and this coverage just might make people think twice before plucking children from their safe beds, in their safe rooms, in a safe resort with parents dining a few minutes away.

More can be done. I live in Egypt and I have to access the 大象传媒 website to get updates on the Macann tragedy. No one has heard of it here. What about the rest of the Middle East (other than Morrocco) and Africa?

Aisha Rashad

I do think it is a shame that their meeting with the pope has been criticised. The pope is there to offer spiritual guidance to his flock and in particular those who are experiencing suffering. It could be said that celebrities and politicians are jumping on a bandwagon - but I can't imagine the Holy See could be described as doing likewise!
If it is their faith in God that is keeping them going, then the media should not be following them while they make a pilgrimage to their spiritual source of strength.

I'm beginning to find the media coverage uncomfortable. I resent the arguement that most parents would do what the McCann's have done. I don't know one single parent who would do what they did. It would be like me living my daughter and going off to the local pub (the same distance as the McCan's to their apartment) with my husband. Everyone I know has expresssed disgust at thje McCann's and their woefully negligent actions and the night their daughter was abducted I understand is not the first time they'd left their children alone to have dinner.

My grandfather lives in Spain and has said that the Spanish and Portugese people cannot understand why the McCann's wouldn't have taken their children with them to dinner. I've spent a lot of time in Italy and Spain and it's very much accepted for children to accompany their parents out to dinner as it's seen as a FAMILY thing. Of course children need a routine but It's quite normal that that routine goes out of the window when on holiday and it's the norm in countries such as Spain, Portugal and Italy to see children in their prams eating with the rest of the family in their pyjamas.

I read an insight into their average day and it included jogging??? meetings with their press agent??? I find their super controlled image odd. Of course I hope for this girl's safe return but the parents have to accept their responsibilty for leaving their daughter alone in the same way they would have to if a fire had broken out in the apartment.

Keeping the story in the news isn't likely to make the slightest difference to the fate of poor Madeleine, it is just pandering to that ghoulish segment of the population who want maximum emotional fix from the media every day. The same sort of unhealthy circus erupted after the Soham murders, when complete non-events in the case were promoted to headline status just to keep the drama unfolding.

One takes their hat off to the McCann鈥檚 for being able to pull off this media campaign but don鈥檛 confuse that with any form of sympathy towards the McCann鈥檚 they are the reason Maddy is missing and probably dead, everyone would do well to remember that.

They left their babies alone while they went out with their friends to eat at a Tapas Bar some 100 meters away from the apartment block they had left their children in.

No 1. They could have had a baby sitter but chose not to.

No.2. They could have shared the nightly baby sitting between different couple in their holiday party but chose not to.

No.3. One of the McCann鈥檚 could have stayed back at the apartment to look after their children but they chose not to.

No.4. They could have taken their children with them, (as I would have done) but they chose not to.

Instead they chose to dump them and went out to a party.
This was NO MISTAKE. This was putting themselves first before the safety of their children. Neglect, it鈥檚 called.

Madeleine was the eldest of eight toddlers. She had a brother and a sister, which adds up to three children. Where were the other five toddlers that night? Also dumped?!!!

How our laws need to be tightened up on child care both here and abroad. If you are British you should have to answer to Britain if you neglect your children here or while out of the country.

I hope Portugal makes an example of the McCann鈥檚 and throws the book at them both and then when they do finally return to Britain we do the same here.

I am sympathetic with the cause, but it does seem a bit strange that this case should get so much attetion over others.

What I don't understand is why nobody is thinking of how the media attention could impact the person who kidnapped her. Why hasn't anybody considered that the execessive coverage could have scared the kidnapper? In the face of all the media, he/she could have done something drastic to protect him/herself. If I were a coward (which a person who kidnaps a child has to be) and had done something terribly wrong, I would panic in the face of the coverage. As hard as it is, try putting yourself in the shoes of this person. The last thing he/she is going to do is allow him/herself to be found out now that everybody's out to get him/her. And that makes me fear the worst...I fear that the hype surrounding the case could have a horrible impact on this little girl...

The plight of the Mc Canns can only be defined as being "every parents worst nightmare", regardless of the circumstances under which this mishap took place,the resort was considered safe.We have to remember that the statistic for child abduction in the uk is that 5 children have been abducted over the past 10 years..Though this ratio may be small, it is indeed the media coverage, publicity, investigation and police efforts, that have kept this figure so low.Every child is special, if so much media coverage wether it be broadcast every single second, can bring madeleine back.. then so be it.

If only they had put this much effort into finding a baby sitter !

544. At 10:23 AM on 04 Jun 2007, Claire wrote:
What I don't understand is why nobody is thinking of how the media attention could impact the person who kidnapped her. Why hasn't anybody considered that the execessive coverage could have scared the kidnapper?
-----------

Well Caire, nobody finds what the fellow who performed the abduction did right. Like many people , I am almost sure McCans have alarm system installed in their car, solid bolts for safety boxes where they keep items that are likely to be taken by thieves. In other words, rather than accusing would-be thieves, they already know that it is wise to be cautious about items that can be stolen. Amazing they had no wisdom to ask themselves 'what if a child wakes up and wants to play with a matchbox or lighter, etc, or hurt herself or himself during our abscence'.

I wonder what the media coverage would be if she wasn't a cute white female British child?

Whilst I sympathise with the McCanns, I have two issues with this situtation:

1) Sadly, children go missing all too frequently, including some in similar circumstances. I do not recall from any point in my life such attention devoted to these cases. Is Madeline McCann worth more than other children in her situation?

2) The McCanns, unlike most parents who have to endure similar agony, had *left their daughter ALONE* at the time of their disappearance. That does NOT excuse her abduction, but it is neglicence of the highest order nonetheless.

Marlene Price wrote: "I am also slightly disturbed that Kate McCann has shown some disrespect for the Pope. It is claimed that she is a strong catholic and as a catholic would know that it is appropriate to cover your head, even if with a small peice of lace, as a mark of respect."

She's a mother whose daughter has been stolen, and she's talking with a man who has been covering up the activities of child abusers and you think _she_ should cover her head "in respect"? He didn't bother to even lift his hat in respect to her and you'd have thought someone who talks so much about the high regard in which he holds women would do that without thinking.

:-)

Re comment 450:
I do not agree with your comments about those of us who view this, in what we consider to be a clear frame of mind. A drunk driver who kills someone will live with that for the rest of their live as well, does that mean that they should not be criticised for what they have done?
The parents were WRONG. They left THREE children in an unlocked room, which they could not see whilst they went out to dinner. They only checked on their children every hour.
If we were talking about a single mother on benefit, she would have been lynched by the press. I would never ever ever leave my child in this situation. The parents have not even had teh decency to say yes, we were wrong, we are so sorry and just want our baby back. Everyone on here wants to see that little girl reunited with her parents, but please let's see this for what it is: A case of guilty parents using every tool at their disposal to try and wash their hands of their guilt. And I, for one, feel sickened by it.

I am amazed that anyone could even think to blame these parents, how many of us in the past have put our children to bed and nipped next door to a neighbours garden for a quiet cup of tea. When did we start to have to worry about our children being stolen. I also wonder if it had happened in England would we still be searching with our Police Force I am quite sure we would have some outcome now. Regretfully these parents may have to face charges of neglect but whatever sentence they recieve will make no difference to them because they now serve a life sentence until they find out where Maddy is. I think we should keep this story going as long as we can if it is only to put off any other bad people stealing a child. When will all this stop only when we bring back hanging for anyone touching a child.

Re: 551

"she's talking with a man who has been covering up the activities of child abusers and you think _she_ should cover her head 'in respect'?"

Well said.

*

But why are people blaming the Pope for the meeting? I thought it was at the McCann request, not the Pope's.

**

I've just read the reference to the McCanns blog.
This gets weirder by the minute. Jogging and meetings with their press agent?
I want news of Madeleine, that's all. And the sooner the better.

But suggesting she'd have been found by now by British police is simply xenophobic.

They shouldn't give up on their child. They should use any and every means possible to try to find her. Someone somewhere knows where she is and who has her. They are fortunate to be able to keep the media's attention on Madeleine - others may not be able to do this, but that doesn't mean the McCanns shouldn't.
I believe a crucial point here is 'what can we do to ensure this doesn't happen to our children?' Paedophilia seems to be more acceptable, perhaps because of the internet (making it easier). Well, every computer has an IP address, so why aren't more people tracked down and arrested for looking at/downloading and especially for displaying child abuse (porn) on their websites? These people need to be removed from society to protect innocent children! Build more prisons or institutions in which to house these sick beings. The children have a right to be protected from them. And so do we.

Interesting to see that the readers who blame the parents, who feel uneasy or fed up with the news about the missing child and parents' efforts to find her are (in a pretty unfair way) labelled with nasty adjectives or accused of being 'cold hearted' or 'stone hearted' or 'inhuman' or failing to imagine themselves in the similar circumstances, with a usual question beginning with 'what if your child?'.

Ok fine, since it is 'their' child that vanished and not ours, they have every right to do everything - like what they are doing now to maximize the chances of finding her, as long as they realize that :-

1) They have no right to expect peoples of countries to pay special interest about the abduction.
2) They have no right to blame those who think too many reports appear so who say 'yeah I won't bother to read , all the same , lets see whats on the sports page or fashion page or lets see the crossword puzzle today'
(which is excatly what ordinary citizens are doing).
3) They have no right to make commnets about how inefficient, insufficient the Portuguese police are , as Portuguese Police are not magicians. (Besides what makes us so sure that this case would not remain unsolved in the hands of British Police? Are you people watching COLD CASE FILES - COLD CASE series ? Well I am not defending Portuguese, not am I claiming they are successful, but unsolved cases are everywhere, even in countries where number one detectives are heard of !)

Dear readers, amongst those who blame the parents , there are mothers who are careful, and they will not buy the 'what if your child' question.

I Bless Madaleines parents, I think it's great that they have turned to God for help, by going to the Pope that is there way of expressing their faith. God is the only one who knows how Madaleine is feeling and Knows where she is. Through the Blood of Christ our Savior We have the victory over all evil if we Believe. Everyone can help Madaleine get back home to her parents...through PRAYER and FAITH.
I have faith that she will come home, lets all continue to say this and pray confidently rather than critisize. We should also forgive who took her away for forgivness spiritualy allows the Grace of God to flow in our lives that brings us Blessings and peace.

It just gets stranger and stranger...
No wonder people are thinking it is a scam...

There are a couple of ways of making big cash in the UK, win the lotto is one, selling your story to the gutter press is another...

Not only would a lower class single mum be hounded by the press and police for neglect and questions asked about her sanity (munchausens and other tabloid favourites) she would also have her footsteps dogged by a police liason officer why haven't the McCanns got one?

I said to my wife "At least we never left our daughter alone when she was three" My wife said "Yes we did. Just once, in a hotel in Scotland when we had dinner"

It came back to me, and I remembered I left the window open for ventilation and we felt guilty all through the meal.

Can there be any parent in Europe, regardless of what they think about the media attention in this case, who is not now taking a more watchful eye on their young children?

I perfectly understand why the McCanns are doing all they can to keep this case high in the news. I do wonder though if it couldn't be done differently. Why go to different countries on a seemingly ad hoc basis? I would think that buying whole page newspaper advertising space in prominent papers throughout Europe and possibly Northern Africa and plastering countries with posters may get their message out to more people than are possibly being made aware at the moment.

well to be honest its just been blown ou of proportion at first i used to follow this story and really sympothize with the partens but theres no need for them to waste time and money visiting the pope, david beckham and brad pit....what are they going to do about it nothing!
how about spending that money on more private investigators. ages ago a women said she saw mad in morrocow....why not spend money going there.
i hope they get her back for madalines sake i hate to think how she feels....but my sympathy for the parents is fading each day, after all they shouldnt have left a 3 year old child alone...especially not with 2 yr old babys

I don't understand anybody who feels the use of the media is inappropriate, as a mother of a little girl not much older than Maddie I entirely support everything the McCanns are doing, we all make mistakes as parents, I know I have, and I also know I would stop at nothing to find my child.
I have never prayed so hard and so often in all my life that Maddie is found alive and that's not because Maddie is white and middle class, it's because I'd like to think I'm a decent human being who would support a fellow human being in need even if all I can do is pray.
I agree with a previous email, these animals that prey on our children should be dealt with more effectively - our human rights and those of our children should supercede theirs, they forfeited their rights the minute they stepped outside of the realms of decency. Bring back capital punishment to deal with these disgusting paedophiles, after all you would put down a rabid animal for the safety of society and these scum are far worse.

They left three children unattended and did not use babysitters that is fact and contributed to their daughters disappearance. However she has gone and every avenue must be used to gain her return dead or alive. the parents need and want closure. They will live with the guilt forever and no visit to the Pope will remove that.
The media is powerful and well used could be the difference between her not being found and being found. Other cases do not get the coverage because people are less educated and able to use the service or maybe less willing.
I want to see coverage daily and know how things are going. I want and pray for resolution and I wish people would stop criticising the media. For once they are doing a damned GOOD JOB let them get on with it. Whoever has her I pray to God she is unharmed. I pray that someone somewhere knows who has her and will find concience enough to spill the beans to someone. No man is an island and even a criminal is known to someone.
Found dead or alive the family are traumatised enough and God knows how they will be if this ever resolves. Yes media coverage will explode and I am sure they will milk it then too but who would not in all honesty and better to read about a human interest story than dull politicians.
As parents maybe it is the wake up call we all needed not that I have ever left my three alone at that age and even my youngest now 12 still has a sitter.

I was horrifed to hear that they left not only their 3 year old daughter unsupervised but TWO other toddler.

I dare not even look away from both my children for a few seconds, whether on holiday or in a shopping mall, so it kills me to learn that the McCanns intentionally and deliberately left not one but THREE children under the age of 4 unsupervised. The toddlers could have woken up and wandered off around the apartment and had an accident or something bad could have happened to them!

It is really irritating to read about how "well-educated" and "well-connected" the Mcanns are. I don't care if they are rocket scientist with 10 MBAs because they certainly do not have common sense in their actions.

We have 2 boys aged 1 and 3 and when we go on holiday we usually plan carefully how we go about doing certain things. Yes we have to sacrifice our own 'adult lifestyle' but we wouldn't have mind it at all, since we do have several sensible choices. We'd either:

1. Take turns having dinner - one parent stay back with the children whilst the other have dinner.
2. One parent stay back with the children whilst the other go out to buy take away food to bring back to hotel room.
3. Order takeout/room service.
4. Both parents stay in the room and have dinner in the room!
5. Hire a babysitter.
6. Take the children to the restaurant. Put our toddlers into their buggies (asleep or not) and take them with us to the restaurant. We always go for this choice and they are used to it.

We will NEVER leave our children unsupervised. It's unthinkable and simply idiotic.

Hmmmmm....so I wonder why Madeleine went missing?

yes i think so the little girl as been taken and it upsets me as my little sister is abit older then her

Well folks, you would do everything to find your child if he/she gets missing.

So, let the parents travel from the Arctic regions to Antractica, from Alaska to Argentina, from far East to to mid Americas etc, etc, but my points is the countries they might be travelling are not the sources that would be of some help - frankly, what all the countries would do is 'oh hello , welcome dear guests, we understand your long lasting pain , our prayers are with you, etc etc' whereas what they would not admit openly is 'what do those parents want from us , what are they here for, is it our problem they made a mistake , well if our so called prayers are sort of support for them, let them have the prayers and leave us alone'.
Well if I ever found myself in the similar circumstances, of course I would do everything with the exception of going to Japan or Indonesia or Papua New Guinea or Bolivia - in other words, I would do things that are likely to help me, I would have no intention to go to sources that are highly unlikely to help me (as the problem has nothing to do with them) to keep a public figure and to be a ridicule by performing shows/meetings with famous well known names.

Well, sounds a bit nasty , but reality is always nasty.

come on please find maddie she could be cold and lost on the other hand she could be with people who love her thats why they took her because they cant have one on there own come on we need to find that lost girl have room in your hearts for something like that find maddie

To be honest, i think they should get all the coverage they can to help find poor Maddie. I know if it was my child i would stop at nothing to get her home safely.

the media coverage in the Madeline Mc cann kidnapping is needed for public awareness in helping to get her back. But the truth of the matter is that, the kids should never have been left alone, and this would never have happened.

I think this is a great shame on this poor child she must be absouloutley terrified all that we can do is pray and hopr to god she will be returned

I couldn't resist returning a comment to TULI TUGLA...whoever the hell you are! You are clearly ridiculous, uneducated, and yes, you do have a heart of stone! Give your head a shake...To invest much of your time and energy begrudging a distraught family from using every effort and means available to them...for what? Are you so bitter and unhappy that you cannot possibly see a happy ending here? Tuli Tugla...keep the comments coming, because what you don't even realize, is that your pathetic and frankly alarming comments lead to further debate, which leads to further publicity, which leads to an increased chance of Madeleine's safe return. Keep up the great job! lol.

Thanks for the kind comments Claire Burke. I have already witnessed that the most disliked people are those who tell the truth - be sure they are far more worse than I am! Well if telling the truth equals with being stone hearted , well I will not deny I am one! There are worse people - oncologists for example , who mostly give bad news! I wish you and your family best of health so you will not have to meet one.

I beg your pardon, but if you have a toothache you go to dentist, not to a ophtalmolog. Likewise if you have an eye problem, you go to an ophtalmolog not to a dentist. Soooo, if I say the family should go to USEFUL sources that are LIKELY to help them rather than choosing the ways that are USELESS and that are UNLIKELY to help them, why does that disturb you that much!

If my negative comments are going to maximize the chances of finding the child, well I do think I deserve some thanks. In other words, who comment with kind words are minimizing those
chances.

Before judging an uneducated person (as you define) , keep your judgement for the well educated parents who (as other readers above described) were eating around candlelights while the child was being taken.

Besides, I can make no comments about you as I do not know you with one exception - as I put above, you do not like to hear bitter talk however much it reflects the truth.

i am so sorry

Claire Burke:

Sometimes it's wrong to assume that English is a person's first language. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Generally speaking, it's wrong to make any assumptions at all about people on web pages like this, people you don't know.

I have two daughters, and i love them a lot, i dont understand how can these people leave their kids alone in a hotel room and go out for dinner and drinking. they should be arrested and jailed for leaving the kids alone. i pray for her safe return, god be with her.

At the end of the day, there is a little girl missing, away from her parents and probably scared. I'm glad that everyone is keeping there chins up for the safe return of little Madeline. We shouldnt be arguing over the fact that the parents may or may not be to blame for this terrible thing that has happened, or that they do or don't "deserve" sympathy from the public, this search for Madeline is not about that, we all just want her safely returned to her parents and we should stand by them 100%. Thank you.

ANNA, You are obvisouly not a parent or you could'nt say what you did.
I beleive we should do everything to keep little Madaline in the public eye
Hoping against hope that someone will find her. My heart does go out to her poor parents who must be suffering dreadfully. Maybe they did make a mistake by leaving the children alone but they will agonise over that for the rest of their lives.

I feel very sorry for maddy.God knows
how much she must be missing her parents.I cant help feeling there is something strange about the whole situation, someone must know something.I dont see how they could leave their other 2 children either when they went to see the pope, being a parent of 2 small children myself i know if that was me it would be a long time before i could ever leave my other children.I find it hard enough to let my children play out in the street never mind leaving them sleeping in an appartment in a foreign country.what if a fire had of started. For them being smart professional people they dont seem to have very much common sense. I am sorry if this seems harsh but it makes me really angry to think someone has this little girl because it was made easy for them.If my Children ever fall asleep when we are on holiday before we have our dinner, my husband would go and bring a mcdonalds back to the room and we would sit on the balcony for the evening and enjoy each others company and if my children need me im right there.i think their trip to see the pope was totally unecessary,people all over the world are praying for madeline and it seems to me they used there situation as an excuse just to meet the pope. I know that the publicity and media could be a vital part in the safe return of madeline but what good did it do for madeline in allowing the tv cameras to travel to rome with them on the aeroplane when there was obviously going to be an enourmous amount of media coverage when they arrived and that any time when they were there, there could of been an important breakthrough with the investigation in portugal.I hope and pray there is a safe return for the little girl and lessons be learnt from the mistakes the mcanns have made to prevent any other children being abducted in this evil world we live in.

Although I wish the safe return of Madeleine I feel that the media attention is becoming excessive. The million donations, and recent reports of the family organising a Madeleine day with celebrity guests is not neccessary to finding Madeleine.

With the millions donated by celebrities and others the only use the money is going towards is seeing the Mcann's in private jets and probably five star hotels on their European Tour. Instead of one family benefiting from the excessive donations shouldnt they have donated a large sum to Missing Children's charities.

I would imagine that what is keeping the McCanns going is their focus, energy and drive in keeping their little girl a top news story. They are the driving force behind keeping this heart rending story in the news. All credit to them for doing this - I just wonder how long they can keep it up and how long the press will consider it newsworthy. All the while they continue to do this it will give them something to hang onto. Who are we to deny them this?